Freedom Just Beyond Self-Doubt
by SecretLeePsycho
Summary: Seraphina is trying to change her life. She devoted everything to be a shield and counter weight for the protection of her three siblings from her Mother and the shinobi world, but one event decides she can no longer live as an expendable pawn. With crippling guilt plaguing her conscience, Seraphina sets her sights on Konaha where she hopes to prove her worth.
1. My Ninja Way

Author note: Hi guys! This is my first fan fiction and I'd like to thank anyone who's taking the time to read it! I hope you find something you like that keeps you reading, and would love your suggestions to help improve my writing! I've read and rewrote so many parts of this, so I hope you don't have to put up with too many misspelling or typos! I've invested a long stretch of time into this story as well, so the writing style might change slightly as it progresses. I may go back to change a few small things as I continue, but here's me inviting you to take a look at what I have so far! Happy reading!

~SLP

WARNING: This story does consist mainly of OC's, if you're not a fan of that, then this story may not be for you! :)

I do not own the rights to any of the Naruto world. All original characters and plot are my own.

Thanks!

 **My Ninja Way!**

"Please Lord. Help me to not screw this up."

The prayer I spoke softly in my head, eased itself to a peaceful conclusion and I allowed myself a few seconds to fade back into reality before opening my eyes slowly, and gazing at the stone shrine in front of me. It wasn't fancy by any means, just a cross made of stone with an oval, wooden, shelter like structure protecting it from the weather. This appeared to be in vain, the stone had been worn smooth and even sported a few chips and cracks here and there. The shrine sat on a short pedestal, the only thing making it stand out amongst the forest floor.

One of the first things I'd done when I'd gotten back, was come to this place to see if the statue still remained. It was old back then, and it had only grown older in my absence. I almost couldn't find it under the leaves and debris that camouflaged it, but was filled with such a deep happiness when I discovered the bit of stone still stood.

I took the time to unbury it and dust off the dirt and webs in order to restore it to its prior condition. I was about to go about cleaning the moss from the base, but found it actually gave the shrine an almost regal sort of beauty… Well maybe it wasn't exactly regal, not to anyone else, but that's why I loved this particular place to worship. It didn't seem as though anyone knew about it, especially after having to unbury it, and I felt that this precious stone statue was mine alone.

After bowing my head deeply, I got to my feet slowly and proceeded to walk a little ways to lean against a tree. I looked up between the leaves to see the blue of the sky. Just then a particularly strong breeze blew a handful of leaves from above me, and I caught one as it fell. I held the one I'd managed to grab between my fingers and against my lips, using it as a whistle like I'd watch my Father do with much fascination. He knew many tricks when it came to being outdoors, some useful, others simply entertaining. This happened to be one of the more useless skills, but nonetheless I'd practiced by myself until I had it mastered.

It had been beautiful for the past few days, and today was no exception. It was easy to enjoy standing among the trees and streams that made up the forest that surrounded the Leaf village. It could be so peaceful and calming. The last time I'd been here was when I was younger, when things were different.

'Were they better then?' I wondered to myself.

No… They were not better. I'd known my place and my role was more clear… but it was not better. Things weren't easier either, but at least I didn't feel a sense of guilt that seemed as though it were eating away at my soul.

The sound I made with my leaf was low and humming. To me it was a noise that fit in amongst the whooshing of the wind blowing through the trees. My mind was in an almost meditative state as I lost myself temporarily, melting into the woods that surrounded me.

This was the path I had chosen, and although those around me said I should have made the decision long ago… It did not feel as though they were entirely sure of me. Then again, was I sure of me? How could doing something right make you feel as I did? Lonely, unsure, selfish. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to come back to the Leaf village… But I had nowhere else to go. Besides that, when I said the word 'home', Konaha is what came to mind.

I had once heard that home is where people think of you, but I doubted anyone remembered me.

"Perhaps if I have no one to think of me…" I said to myself quietly after pulling the leaf from my lips to think aloud.

"I will find someone to think of. Maybe my home can be here because of it."

Pushing away from the tree, I lifted the leaf to my face and blew it from my open palm. It was sent spinning into the air like a mini tornado, flying high into the air on an unnatural gust. As it began its spiraling descent to the ground, I clasped my hands lightly behind my back, beginning my walk toward the restaurant I had scouted out earlier. It had been two weeks since I'd arrived at the Leaf Village, and after much thought and multiple meetings, the Lady Hokage had decided I'd be placed on a team in need of a member. It was odd, and a bit sad to discover the kind old man that had been there years before had since died, but this new Hokage seemed quite capable. Still it raised the question, what happened to the previous Hokage?

There was currently only one team with an opening, so there was no need to contemplate options. After explaining when and where I was to meet my new team, The Lady Hokage sent me off with demands to relax and stop looking so worried.

But how was I supposed to do that? The mere thought of relaxing puzzled me. So much was going through my mind, how could I possibly stop worrying? What if my team didn't like me? What if they thought I was useless, because I hadn't been around to take the chunin exams and was still a genin? I had spent so many days, nights, _weeks_ training and being beat into something deemed useful, and with the master who was assigned to me, it had been very difficult… _I_ knew I was capable, but how would they?

With nothing left to do after talking to the Lady Hokage, I'd decided to find the restaurant she'd told me about, wanting to make sure I knew where I was going. I was still terrified I'd screw something up by taking a wrong turn even after checking out the place beforehand. The Leaf had changed so much since I'd left, there were multiple new buildings and so many things had been updated that I found it was nearly an entirely different village to me… or perhaps it was the fact I was never permitted to be anywhere but home or school aside from occasional trips to the market.

As I walked through the gates, the two ninja that seemed to nearly always be stationed there, Izumo and Kotetsu I believe… smiled to me and nodded their heads. I smiled back and gave a slight wave.

They had been there when I'd trudged tired and alone through the village gate two weeks ago. It was dusk and chilly out, tears beginning to fill my eyes as I'd realized I'd finally made it… and there was no turning back. Nothing like realization to make you panic and question every decision you've made.

I was so worried that because of who I was connected to… because of my family… I wouldn't be worth anyone's time. You see, others may not have heard of a no name such as myself, but that didn't mean they were unaware of the people connected to me. My family who had made the wrong decisions. And it wasn't as though I hid it from those who asked. I wasn't a liar and as ugly as it may be, I did not want to deceive others, simply because I longed for their acceptance. I knew I would be hated for it down the road if it had been found out I had not been up front when being questioned.

So unfortunate as it was to start off a reputation connected to my family… I bared it. Because of them my life was so much harder. They had done as they wanted, ruining the image of themselves and those around them like spilled ink on a blank page. I was drug down with them until I had let go, but now I was alone.

When I had first arrived at the Leaf Village I'd been interrogated about anything that might prove to be useful, the Lady Hokage explained it was a precaution. Like I said before, I withheld nothing and gave them as much an answer to their questions as I could. Some of the things they wanted to know I had no information on, and although they seemed displeased by this, they accepted it for the time being. I suspected they were planning to try again at a different time. I knew how they must see me; a potential traitor and with no sense of honor… But I'm different from them! My family that is. I'm a ninja, and I'm proud of that. I will never let anything take away my will to fight. That is my ninja way.


	2. The Gangs All here

The Gangs All Here!

As I walked through the village my mind wandered this way and that, drawing my eyes to the ground as I worried absentmindedly. My thoughts had a horrible tendency to try to play out every possible outcome of a situation, usually skirting the good ones. What if they wanted nothing to do with me, and my Sensei told Lady Hokage lies just to get me off his squad? What if my comrade's previous teammate was so amazing, I would always be dull in comparison, causing them to resent me? What if-…

All of a sudden I realized I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going and picked my head up to look around.

Nothing looked familiar. Crap. Where was the road I needed to be on? How long ago had I passed it? What other turns had I made without noticing?

"I knew I was going to do something like this." I muttered to myself and put my hands to my head in despair.

"Now I'm going to be late and they'll think I'm incompetent… Way to go Seraphina! Oh jeeze, how I'm I suppose to join a squad if I can't even find them?" I mumbled and frantically began looking down roads in an attempt to see something familiar.

"Lost?" Asked someone from behind me and I turned startled.

"Oh!" I said finding a tall black haired boy with a spikey ponytail. His brows and lips were thin but his features were sharp and distinct. He had his hands in his pockets looking rather bored, but at the same time had an amused expression on his face.

"I- uh… Well I know where I was _supposed_ to be and knew how to get there from where I was… but I guess I started daydreaming, and forgot to pay attention to where I was going. Now nothing looks familiar and I don't know which road I should take…" I said scratching the back of my head and feeling my face redden.

"So you're lost." The boy stated with a smirk, but not unkindly.

"Uh… Yeah." I said feeling dumb and dropping my gaze to the ground feeling ashamed.

"But I'll find my way if I keep looking, I'm sure of it." I said picking my head back up and smiling.

His eyebrow dipped for just a second in what looked like a confused expression, and then it disappeared.

"Hey, don't worry about it." He said giving me a lazy smile.

"Tell me where you're going and I'll point you in the right direction."

"Really?" I said perking up full of gratitude.

"It's a restaurant called… Ichiraku's Ramen, yeah that's it." I said hoping I'd pronounced it right. The guy blinked at me.

"No kidding, I'm actually headed there now looking for someone."

He nudged his head toward one of the streets with his hands in his pockets.

"I'll walk with you, it's not far."

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!" I said happily bowing my head and smiling brightly at him.

"Don't mention it, it's not like I'm going out of my way or anything." He said almost sheepishly and starting to lead the way.

I caught up with him quickly and began walking alongside him.

"So are you new here? I don't recognize your face." He said casually.

"Yes, I mean… no. It's kind of… It's a bit complicated. I lived here when I was younger, but have been gone for some time. I don't remember a whole lot, so it's like I'm new. Not to mention there's apparently been a lot of new construction going on. It's been preventing me from remembering things correctly." I rambled.

"You don't say. Now that you mention it, I did feel like you were somehow familiar. Time changes a lot of things. I'm Shikamaru by the way." He said in his drawling voice.

"It's nice to meet you, my name is Seraphina." I said with a smile.

"And I agree time changes a lot. All my memories of this place seem like a dream now that I'm back, it's an odd feeling. Hey… wait a second!" I said turning to him abruptly.

"I'm supposed to be meeting my new squad at that restaurant, you wouldn't happen to be one of my new team mates would you?" I asked realization hitting me as I looked at him.

"Sorry to disappoint, but like I said, I'm just looking for a friend. Whoever you're meeting with, it isn't me." He replied.

"Oh, too bad." I said quietly and continued walking.

"You seem like a nice guy, I could use a friend to help me get around."

"That sounds like it could be a full time job, which would be asking a lot from a lazy guy like me. Work is such a drag. As for being a friend, I think I could handle that. If you ever really need a hand, let me know, I'm sure someone can point you in my direction."

"Thanks." I said nodding my head with a smile.

"I'm not sure if I could ever be of assistance to you, but if so don't hesitate to ask… You'll have to find me though, because likely I'll be lost as you found me today." I told him and we both laughed.

"Here we are, it was nice meeting you Seraphina." He said with his hands still in his pockets and nodded to me with that lazy smile.

We were standing outside the place I had found earlier and a breath of relief washed out of me.

"Thanks so much, I owe you one." I said gratefully.

"Naw, don't worry about it. See ya around." He said and then turned to call into the Ramen shop.

"Hey Naruto, are you done wolfing down ramen yet? You've gotta be made of the stuff by now."

A spikey yellow haired boy whipped his head around with a large grin and a bowl still in his grip.

"I can't think of anything better to be made out of!" He giggled and then proceeded to loudly slurp down the remaining contents of his bowl.

"The Lady hokage wants to see us, would you hurry it up?" Shikamaru asked with a hand on his hip and a look of exasperation.

"Grandma Tsunade? Sheesh what does she want now? Can't a guy have a minute to relax?" Complained Naruto childishly.

"For someone who wants to become Hokage one day, all you do is complain, it's such a drag." He scolded.

"You're one to talk Shikamaru, you're the laziest guy I know." Mumbled Naruto folding his arms behind his head, but reluctantly getting up from his seat to join his friend.

"Can it." Shikamaru replied sounding uninterested.

"Let's get going already." He said as he started walking in a different direction then we'd come.

"Yeah yeah, wait up would ya?" Said Naruto jogging to catch up.

As they walked away I thought about the yellow haired boy's name.

Naruto… It sounded familiar. Redirecting my thoughts I ducked under the entrance and began to look about for my new team. Puzzled I noticed there were only a few elderly people and a young child.

"Hm… I wonder where they are." I murmured to myself quietly and went to stand against the wall.

Despite getting lost I had somehow managed to make it on time, but the others were not here yet.

'I wonder what they'll look like.' I thought to myself. Were they wondering about me? What if they didn't want a new teammate? Maybe that was why they were late…

"Hey, you there." Called the older man from behind the bar startling me.

"Are you going to order something, because it's bad for business to have loiterers." He said squinting at me.

"Uh I'm-" I began and was cut short.

"She's with us Teuchi." Said one of two guys ducking into the shop.

"That is, if her names Seraphina." Said the other looking at me quizzically.

"Yes, That's me." I replied pushing my glasses into place as I stood up straight, and feeling my heartbeat speed up. Both boys were almost a full head taller than myself.

The first had hair that was on the longish side reaching his shoulders, and it was a very pale blond. His skin was a warm darkness which contrasted his flashing pale blue eyes which had two distinct upside-down arrows painted just beneath them. He was wearing an expression on his face as if he were both bored and annoyed. The black undershirt he wore under his flak jacket was pulled up to cover his neck and chin, and he had chosen to wear his headband tied loosely around his neck. He was wearing a more close fitted pair of pants that ended at the knee where taping began and ended at the ankle.

The other, who had questioned my name was slightly taller than the first, with hair that was a little shorter and brown. He wore it all pushed off to the front right of his head, his forehead protector preventing it from falling in his view. His light brown eyes hinted at a quiet intelligence as he casually and openly took the chance to analyze me. It was hard not to notice the slim but defined muscle covered in the mesh shirt he wore under his flak jacket, it made me think he did not slack in his training.

"Are you two members of squad 19?" I asked trying to make sure these were the right guys.

"Yeah." Said the blonde one.

"I'm Tiberius and this is Mialo. Come on, were actually meeting Zenko Sensei somewhere else."

"Oh." I said steadying my nerves.

"Alrighty." I said bobbing my head in agreeance and hurrying to join them.

The blond one named Tiberius walked with his thumbs hooked in his pockets as Mialo, the brown haired one, walked alongside him with his fingers laced behind his head. I clasped my hands behind my back not knowing what to do with them and trialed at the back feeling a bit awkward. According to their apparel, they were chunin. Would they look down on me because I wasn't'? They weren't being cold, but they didn't exactly seem inviting… they didn't bother to include me in conversation.

"Why did Zenko Sensei change where we were meeting at the last minute?" Asked Mialo sounding mildly curious.

"He's forever doing things without an explanation, you know that." Replied Tiberius in a voice that gave the impression the change of plans irked him.

"I think he just likes to mess with us." Tiberius said looking over at his team mate.

"You never know with the guy, he certainly believes he's funny." Mialo said shaking his head, but not without a slight grin.

It was as though they had forgotten I was there for a second, but when they noticed I was listening they seemed to stop talking. My spirits started to fall. So was I right in thinking they weren't keen on receiving a new member to their team?… Maybe things would be different once we met with our squad leader. Perhaps that would ease any reluctance?

As we walked on, I wondered where it was we were going, but was fighting with myself because I was too nervous to ask.

'Come on,' I chided myself.

'Quit letting everything get to you, this is the choice you made so it's time to stop being a coward.'

"So um, where are we headed?" I asked and tried to smile friendly at them.

"You see the faces of the Hokage up on that cliff?" Asked Mialo looking over at me.

"Oh, yes." I said nodding my head and glancing up. Even that had changed, Lady Hokage's face had been added.

"Up there." Tiberius finished without further explanation.

"Up there?" I asked with wide eyes and imagined what it must be like to look down over the village.

"Yeah, is there something wrong with that?" Tiberius said looking over at me with question in his eyes.

"No- I mean it's just that… You know, it's kinda high up… It would be a very long way to fall."

"Well were ninja, so that shouldn't be a concern." He replied as he continued to walk.

'Damn it…' I thought to myself. Now they probably doubted I was a ninja at all. Maybe talking was a bad idea. I always said too much before I even realized it.

The rest of the walk to the rock face was in silence which only made me feel more uncomfortable. Was it just me, or did they feel the awkwardness as well?

When we got to the cliff side they led me to a set of stairs I otherwise might not have noticed, and began to climb the many steps. I followed after them keeping pace, but the fact that there was no railing or anything to prevent you from falling over the edge, was making my chest tight. It was hard to concentrate on moving my feet when we were so high, and with nothing between me and the edge of the cliff.

I swallowed hard as I looked out over the expanse of the village and tripped on the next step. I stumbled with a shriek before Tiberius grabbed my arm to pull me upright and away from the edge.

"You should pay attention to where you're walking if you're afraid of heights, not the view." He said exasperated and then turned to keep climbing.

"Right… Thanks." I murmured feeling my face get hot.

I wasn't afraid of heights… just falling.

When we got to the top Tiberius made his way over to a railing that looked over the rest of the village.

"Huh. Where is he now?" Asked Mialo

"Don't tell me he changed the meeting place again." Growled Tiberius.

As I made my way over to them I wondered what the purpose of meeting here could have been. Why had Zenko Sensei changed where we were gathering at the last moment? Was he just finding excuses to avoid meeting me? What if he wanted nothing to do with me, and I was stuck on a team that tried to pretend I wasn't there? There was a part of me that said I was clearly overreacting and demanded that I stop worrying so much, but the rest of me couldn't help but to speculate. What would I do if they disliked me completely? Would I leave and try to find a new home? No that would be like running away, and I was better than that. I would make these people like me, I just had to. What was the point of living if no one wanted you around, or realized you were there? I couldn't continue to live like that. Not anymore.

Just then a movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention and I grabbed a kunai from my bag.

"Look out!" I said stepping quickly in front of Mialo and deflecting a shuriken off my blade.

"Hunh?" He said turning quickly to look around.

Before I could say anything else three more shuriken stuck in the ground at my feet as I jumped back and bumped into the railing. I steadied my fighting stance and began to look about trying to find our attacker. As I looked around I was surprised to see that Tiberius and Mialo had gathered on either side of me and were standing ready. A small jolt of hope jumped in my chest.

'Don't let this fool you stupid.' I thought viscously to myself.

'It's not that they want to fight next to you, we're being attacked so it only makes sense.'

I steeled my nerves and continued searching as something glinted off the lens of my glasses.

"There, in the trees!" I said and took off toward the tree line a little ways from the cliff face.

Mialo and Tiberius didn't hesitate as they took the lead and charged our attacker.

"Huh!" Mialo yelled, but just before he threw his handful of shuriken gasped and came to a clumsy halt.

"Wait, what?" Tiberius exclaimed stumbling to a stop next to him.

"What are you doing?" I yelled confused and threw the kunai I had been holding in the direction of the man in the tree.

"Stop!" The guys called to me a second too late.

My opponent dodged and my kunai stuck into the tree where he'd been standing.

"What do you mean stop?" I asked confused and looked at them baffled.

"Who is this guy?"

Jumping from the tree the ninja landed in front of us neatly and smiled crookedly.

I grabbed another kunai from my bag and held it up ready to fight.

"I'm Zenko Kemozo." He said answering my question and then continued.

"I'm squad leader of team 19. You're Seraphina I presume? " His smirk met my surprised expression.

…

"Uh-, yes. I'm Seraphina Rakishima." I stuttered and quickly sheathed my blade.

"I apologize, I had no idea." I sputtered quickly while bowing my head in shame.

"Nonsense!" The tall man with a ponytail said smiling at me.

His hair was a black and hung over his Leaf headband which was tied over his forehead. He had mischievous bright green eyes that were shining down at me as also took in his jōnin jacket and bottom lip piercing.

"You reacted just as you should." He reassured me.

"What's the deal Sensei?" Mialo questioned hotly, but still maintaining a calm air.

"Yeah, why the hell did you attack us?!" Tiberius demanded annoyed and shaking his clenched fist at Zenko.

The man chuckled and crossed his arms.

"You two are easy to get riled up, you know that?" He said crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's lucky for you that our new teammate was paying attention, otherwise you'd be pulling a shuriken out of your back." He said scolding his student.

"And whose fault is that?" Tiberius yelled at Zenko.

"You said we were getting together to meet the new team mate, not training. Why would we be expecting you to attack us?" He said crossing his arms and glaring at Zenko.

"You should always be expecting an attack, isn't that right Seraphina?" He replied smugly and looked over at me.

"Um yeah, I guess so…" I said not wanting my teammates to hate me.

Why was he asking me? Was he trying to annoy the other two? He definitely seemed to be enjoying himself, what with that smirk and all.

" _You're_ their squad leader?" I asked him skeptically.

"Hey now, why do you say it like that?" He asked sagging his shoulders, his head falling forward dramatically in disappointment.

"Probably because most people don't introduce themselves by trying to kill you." Mialo mumbled under his breath.

He had a point.

"Kids these days do everything so plain." He said picking his head up still looking a bit disappointed.

"Alright then, enough with the fun and games. I'm _your_ squad leader now too. I figured this would be a more interactive way to get acquainted, but I guess it might have been a bit much." He laughed.

"So let's get the ball rolling." Zenko turned and went to lean against the tree we'd found him in.

"Fun and games-"

"You start Tiberius." Said Zenko cutting him off with a grin.

Tiberius shot his Sensei an irritated look.

"Start what?" He asked.

"Say a little about yourself."

"Like what?" Tiberius demanded not looking enthused.

"You know, the basics. What you like, your birthday, favorite foods, yadda yadda. We'll each take a turn and hopefully this can be a good ice breaker." He said smiling at the three of them.

"Why didn't we do this in the first place?" Asked Mialo with an arched eyebrow.

"Man you kids have no sense of fun." Zenko complained.

"If we did everything so black and white I'd die of boredom. Anyways, go ahead Tiberius." He said nodding his head in the other boy's direction.

"Better this then throwing shuriken at us I suppose." Tiberius muttered.

"That's the spirit!" He laughed.

"Alright… I guess I'll start off with my full name is Tiberius Kizu. I'm 15, my favorite food is stir fry, and I spend my free time training. How's that?" He asked looking to Zenko.

"Horrible."

"What? But that's what you told me to say!" He complained.

"Spice it up kid, what are your hopes and dreams? What's something important to you? You need to go a little deeper." Zenko pried.

"Oh, for the love of- Fine. … My mother and older sister are important to me. I guess my goal in life is to be an exceptional shinobi, and to become part of the Undertaker Squad. I'm going to prevent deaths like my Father's." Tiberius said getting serious.

"Ah, a Hunter-nin. Interesting choice, but you know that will take quite a bit of training and skill don't you?" Asked Zenko crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm aware." Tiberius said unruffled.

"What's a Hunter-nin?" Asked Mialo looking confused.

I thanked him silently because I'd never heard of such a thing either, but wasn't inclined to ask.

"A Hunter-Nin is an elite shinobi whose purpose is to seek out missing-nin, AKA ninja who desert their village, and to eliminate them. These Anbu members are essential to prevent important information from potentially falling in to enemy hands." Zenko explained.

"I never knew you had such intentions Tiberius." He said giving him a measured look.

"It's something I've recently decided on. My Father was a great ninja, cut down because of information leaked by a missing-nin. As much as I would love to seek revenge in his name, I know it would have only brought him sadness to see me do so. Instead I plan to make better use of my life, by devoting myself to a cause that eliminates traitors like the one who took my Father from me. In that way I can both protect the ones I love, and make him proud." Tiberius said with a distant expression and then crossed his arms.

His explanation unnerved me… I hadn't left the village because I wanted to, but would that matter to someone like him? It didn't seem like it would.

"Your turn Mialo." He said and looked at his teammate with a smirk.

"Way to make me look bad Tiberius." He chuckled scratching the back of his head.

"Well here goes nothing I guess, my name is Mialo Rybuki. My favorite food is sugar glazed dumplings and I'm also 15… Man this is kind of hard… I like to spend my time discovering new ways to improve my techniques and jutsu. My clan and village are what's important to me. My dream is to come up with a completely new jutsu that's recognized by all ninja, and can be used to help our village in some way. I may not be as honorably ambitious as Tiberius, but I can assure you I'm just as motivated. Maybe even more." Mialo said returning Tiberius's smirk with one of his own.

"Your turn Sensei." Mialo nodded in Zenko's direction.

"Very good Mialo, I had no idea you meant to create such a thing. Both of your dreams are new to me and are filled with such passion! I don't know if I could be more proud, perhaps it was I who needed introductions, not Seraphina!" He chuckled as the two boys just shook their heads and rolled their eyes.

"Well then, I suppose I should go. As I stated earlier, my name is Zenko Kemozo and I'm 26. Man you guys make me feel like an old man!" He exclaimed and chuckled to himself.

"My favorite food is anything I didn't have to make, and my hobbies include training with you knuckle heads and hitting up the hot springs."

"Knuckle heads?" Said Tiberius hotly which only made Zenko laugh again.

"Did I forget to mention how much I love a good laugh?" He asked and continued to enjoy himself.

"I don't think you had to." Muttered Mialo.

Zenko continued as if he hadn't heard Mialo.

"Protecting my village and providing my students with the training they need to become capable shinobi. That's what's important to me. As for hopes and dreams…Well I guess I could say I'm living all that right now. I've always wanted to leave behind a legacy fit for a great shinobi, and in being your sensei I can see that happening. One day when I'm no longer here, I know I'll be able to rest peacefully with the knowledge I left behind students I am truly proud of. That will be my legacy." He smiled and for once Mialo and Tiberius were stunned frozen and speechless.

All of a sudden I felt very out of place. These guys had been together for a few years now, they had shared experiences and had formed connections through challenges they'd faced together. How was I supposed to fit in there somewhere? When Zenko sensei was talking about being proud of his students, he meant them. There was no place in his memories of me like these two. Sadness crept into my mind. I didn't have a sensei thinking about the memories we shared, it had always just been me trying to prove I was worth something…

"You two look so shocked." Zenko laughed.

"Was what I said really that surprising?"

Tiberius's expression turned defiant and he looked away.

"How are we supposed to be annoyed when you mess with us, if you say sentimental junk like that?"

"Junk?" Zenko laughed loudly.

"I tell you my hopes and dreams and you stomp all over them? I guess I'll have to continue to amuse myself at your expense!" He laughed with an evil glint in his eyes.

"As if you needed that as an excuse." Mialo said shaking his head.

"I have no Idea what you're talking about." He smiled and then turned to me.

"What I do know, is that it's Seraphina's turn."

My body froze and my chest got tight as they looked at me. All three of them were watching me as they waited for me to speak.

'words.' I told myself.

'Use. Your. Words.'

"I- I uh… I can't talk if everyone is looking at me…" I mumbled quietly as my face became red hot.

'Quit looking at me!' I desperately wanted to shout.

"Shy are we?" Zenko Sensei said with a smile.

"Sometimes." I said as my face beat red.

"Well you're just going to have to get over that. We've got no time for shyness, so you're going to have to overcome it starting now. This is an easy one, just say the basics like we did." He encouraged.

"Alright…" I said not being able to look up at them.

"My name is Seraphina Rakishima and I'm 14. My favorite food is anything spicy, and I like to spend my time reading, drawing, and sitting outside."

"Do you know where your Mother or Orochimaru are?" Tiberius asked me with a pointed look.

My breathing caught as my head flew up, and I flinched as the image of my mother came into my mind as well as a pair of haunting snake eyes.

"Tiberius, this is an introduction, not an interrogation." Said Zenko Sensei with the first serious expression I'd seen on him.

"Yeah besides, she's already been interrogated. Anyone who's a possible threat always is." Mialo added.

I looked back down again not wanting to see the judgment on their faces. They knew. Of course they knew. Lady Hokage would have told them, I shouldn't have been surprised. I just wanted so badly for this to go different.

"Well if it's no big deal then she shouldn't have a problem answering." Tiberius said without restraint.

"Tiberius-" Zenko began but I cut in.

"No, I don't know where Lord Orochimaru or my Mother have gone. She left me and took my siblings to be with _him_ and he would never be carless enough to allow himself to be tracked. My Mother only kept me around because she wanted something, so she never offered any clues for me to follow. Even if she had told me where it was she went, everything she says is a lie. My information would be useless." I tried to make my speech short and percise.

"You must know _why_ she left at least. What was your _Lord_ offering her and your siblings?" Tiberius put heavy emphasis on my wording. I would have to learn how to drop the honorific if I wanted them to believe I really had deserted my previous master.

"I could only imagine what her reasons might have been. One day she decided doing his bidding from a distance wasn't good enough, so she did whatever she had to just to get closer to him. Apparently he had some kind of use for her and demanded she bring me and my siblings. I refused… but my siblings said it was pointless to try to leave. We had nowhere else to go. I tried to dissuade them, but made no difference. All I know is he plans to use them for _something_. I don't know what." My voice sounded empty even to my own ears.

"That's too bad, it would have been convenient if you did happen to know something…" Zenko said unable to help himself.

I didn't blame him. Anyone who found out who I was connected to, desired to question me about it, and eventually did.

"What about you?" questioned Mialo.

"What do you mean?" I asked looking up at him confused.

"He means how do we know you're not a spy for your Mom? That you're not _just like her._ " Tiberius gave me a critical appraisal and my calm fell apart.

"I am _nothing_ like my Mother." I spit venomously.

"I left because I have a mind of my own, and she does not control it. She will never use me again and I will never act as she does. I am nothing like her, and I never will be." I glared Tiberius down and he met my rage head on with a glare of his own.

Anger was rolling off me in waves and I was finding it abnormally difficult to contain it. How dare he say something like that to me? He had no idea who my Mother was, or what she had put me through. I wanted nothing more than to grab him by the shirt and tell him.

"Easy now, calm down Seraphina." Zenko Sensei said putting a restraining hand on my shoulder.

It had the effect of water on a flame as my anger diminished and I realized I had just shouted at my new team.

"I'm sorry." I said immediately and let my eyes fall to the ground again.

"I should have never spoke like that." I continued quietly.

"I think this is where we'll wrap things up for today." Zenko Sensei said releasing my shoulder.

'Great, what a good note to end on.' I thought to myself sullenly.

"We have our first mission as a squad tomorrow, so make sure you get a good night's rest. We'll be meeting by the village gates at exactly noon tomorrow and we will be gone for a few days, so bring supplies. Don't be late." He said making eye contact with each of us.

"Hai." The three of us said at the same time.

"You're dismissed for today, I expect to see positive attitudes tomorrow. Now off you go." He said and vanished in a poof.


	3. Unexpected Company

Unexpected Company

I listened to the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees, while I sat looking at the stars that were beginning to appear in the evening sky. My knees were pulled up to my chest with my arms wrapped around as I rested my cheek against them. I was by myself on one of the many grassy hills that was part of the leaf village and feeling very much alone.

After Zenko Sensei had dismissed us and taken his leave, the two boys began making their way back into town leaving me not knowing what to do with myself. I decided to go to my new home which was a small apartment, but half way there I decided I didn't want to be shut up in the quiet space by myself. I had noticed the grassy hill then and decided to go there instead.

The spot I was sitting in overlooked a lake that was dark and sparkling in the remaining light. It was so peaceful here, but unfortunately it did little to ease my depressed feelings of the day.

"Am I meant to suffer?" I asked myself out loud.

"Why do I care so much? Why do I have to live like this? Different from others… Not only from the people I ran away from, but even the people I ran to. Things would be so much easier if I could be normal. Then I wouldn't have to prove anything to anyone…"

I let myself wallow in self-pity even though I knew I just needed to suck it up.

"Long time no see, mind if I join you?" Said a bored voice from behind startling me.

I turned my head quickly to see a silhouette of someone with a spikey pony tail.

"Shikamaru?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah, You're easy to startle." He said coming to stand over me.

"You always appear when I think I'm alone." I muttered scratching the back of my head and feeling like an idiot. Shikamaru made an amused noise.

"Mind if I sit down?" He asked again, looking as if he'd truly leave if I said so.

"Oh yeah, go ahead." I said crossing my legs and leaning back on my hands.

"How'd you know I was here?" I asked looking over at him as he lay down in the grass next to me.

"Honestly, I didn't." He said in that mild tone of his.

"I come here to escape everyone nagging me, and to look at the clouds. I made it a little late tonight, the stars are coming out." He said and folded his arms under his head like a pillow.

"Oh, I guess it's me who should be asking permission to hang around." I replied feeling somehow guilty.

"It's not like I've got claim to this place or something, it's just one place of many." He said not making a big deal out of it.

"Oh, Okay." I said and then looked back up at the stars.

We were both quiet for a few minutes as we looked up at the sky. The crickets were beginning to come out and I could hear frogs croaking from down by the lake.

"So," Said Shikamaru breaking the silence.

"Did you meet your squad?"

I tensed up a little.

"Um… Yeah." I said trying not to sound as discouraged as I felt.

"Mialo Rybuki, Tiberius Kizu, and Zenko Kemozo." I replied listing off their names as I remembered them.

"Oh yeah, I know a little about Mialo and Tiberius. They were in a different class, but we've been on a few of the same missions. I think I've met Zenko, but I'm not very familiar with him. Sounds like you got dealt a decent hand." Shikamaru said looking over at me.

"They might not feel the same…" I said quietly and then sat up as I began to fiddle with a blade of grass.

"What makes you say that?" He said in his measured voice without moving from his lounging position.

"If I told you, you probably wouldn't like me either." I said unable to look over at him.

"Is it about your family? How they left the village to help Orochimaru?" He asked casually and I looked over at him shocked.

"Wha- you , you know about that?" I asked confused and feeling my heart sink.

"Yeah. When my friend and I went to see the Lady Hokage earlier today, she told me about a girl who had come back to the village after being gone for some time, that they had interrogated her. She said she was being assigned to a squad and that she hoped things went smooth."

As I looked at him he closed his eyes as though he were utterly at ease. What was the point in avoiding the topic? Clearly that hadn't worked with my new teammates.

"So you know how my Mother forced us to leave and then used me as a tool to make money for Orochimaru. How my Dad was a drunk because, and got himself thrown into jail, where he'll spend the rest of his life." I said and my shoulders drooped.

"You must think I'll be like them somehow, that I'm a spy… But I'm telling you I'm not, I'll prove it, I'll show everyone I'm different." I said picking my head up and looking at him with determination.

"So that's what you meant when you were talking about not wanting to prove anything. That makes sense, but you know the only one you should be concerned about proving things to, is you." He replied opening one eye lazily.

"You don't understand…" I said looking down at the lake as it sparkled.

"People don't trust me, they already have preconceived ideas in their heads and I can see the judgment in their eyes. They pity me, but even worse they put me in the same group as the people I'm connected to. How can I ignore what they think of me when it's all I think about? I just want to be normal so bad, to live without trying so hard every single day…"

At first Shikamaru said nothing and it was quiet except for the crickets and frogs. Sadness had washed over me and I wanted to escape it desperately.

"I'm just complaining though, I'll be fine. I've lived this far, so it's no big deal." I looked over at him and smiled.

After a few more moments of silence he let out an easy breath and propped himself up on his elbows.

"That's the second time you've done that." He said looking out at the lake.

I looked at him puzzled.

"What?" I asked him confused.

"Just a second ago you were speaking what you truly felt. I could feel your frustration as you explained yourself, but then you totally dismissed it as if it meant nothing."

I looked at him not knowing what to say.

"The first time was when I found you looking lost and frantic. I heard you scolding yourself and worrying about what your squad was going to think of you, but then you reassured me you'd be fine and that you would keep looking even when we both knew you were hopelessly lost." He looked over at me.

"Do you do that because you don't want to be a burden on others?" He asked mildly.

"I…" I looked at the blade of grass in my hands as I thought.

"I guess I do that when I'm feeling overcome by sadness or worry." I said thinking out loud.

"In truth, I whole heartily hate being so sad and negative. I feel as though I'm filled with so much joy and happiness, but because of the life I have, it's constantly being stifled and shoved away. All I want is to smile and be silly, but the heaviness of reality keeps me from doing that. When I tell others I'll be fine or that it's nothing to worry about, I guess I'm just trying to believe things aren't really that bad. Because if I do that, I have an excuse to smile." I said realizing my smile had become one of sadness.

A few minutes passed without us talking again so I closed my eyes and let myself be taken away by the sounds of the night and the smell of grass on the wind.

"Life as a cloud would be so much easier don't you think?" Shikamaru said dreamily.

"Just floating on a breeze without anything being expected of you." He sighed.

'This boy really is lazy'… I thought to myself.

"In a way… But then we would be mindless and wouldn't get to enjoy all the beautiful things in life like flowers, the stars, and books. I think I would miss all the lovely things that have kept me alive all these years." I said looking at him with an amused expression.

"Things like laughter, the smell of cookies in a bakery, swimming on a hot day. You couldn't enjoy any of that if you were a cloud you know."

He was silent and then he closed his eyes again with a crooked smile.

"I guess you're right."

"What kind of stuff would you miss?" I asked looking up to see the moon had made an appearance.

"Me? Hmm… I suppose I would miss my comrades, even though they can be a drag a lot of the time. And playing shogi." He added not seeming to think too deep on the topic.

It had started to get a little colder out, but I had no desire to go to my empty apartment. Instead I just wrapped my arms around my knees again.

"You know," Shikamaru began.

"I doubt you're anything like your family."

I looked over at him silently, but he was still lounging with his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry for what you've gone through, even though I could never understand the extent of what that might have been. You deserve to smile and be silly, and I think you should do that." He said looking over at me with that lazy smile.

"It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, you shouldn't have to try so hard for others when they aren't even trying for you. Be yourself and you'll be surrounded by people who care about you in no time."

Looking back at the lake I saw nothing because of tears blurring my vision.

"Thanks Shikamaru."


	4. Be Yourself

Be yourself!

"Thanks again Shikamaru, I'm grateful I met you." I said smiling at him.

I still felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, but because of him I felt as though I could bear it a little better. I would stop trying so hard to please everyone else and breathe a bit more.

"Don't mention it." He said with that laid back tone and smiled.

We were on our way home and walking side by side in the evening air. As we approached my apartment, I turned to him and bowed my head.

"Get home safe, see you later." I smiled brightly.

"Thanks, see you-" He began but was cut off.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Someone hollered, and I looked up to see the yellow haired boy from earlier standing on the second floor of the apartment complex, a door down from my own.

"What are you doing with that girl again?" He yelled squinting his eyes and leaning dangerously far over the railing.

"She's got a name ya know." Shikamaru said letting out a sigh.

"Oh sorry." Naruto said standing up straight and laughing to himself.

"That's okay, my names Seraphina, it's nice to meet you." I smiled.

"You say that now…" Muttered Shikamaru beside me and I laughed.

"What did you say?" Naruto shouted and leaned out over the railing once more.

"Nothing that isn't true. Why are you always shouting? It's real annoying."

"You're always such a downer, you know that?" He glowered then turned back to me.

"Nice to meet ya Seraphina. My names Naruto Uzumaki and I'm gonna be Hokage one day!"

He placed a hand on his hip and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Oh… Alrighty then…" I said with an awkward laugh.

"Hey, what's so funny?" He demanded switching his glare to me.

"Nothing really, that's just quite the introduction." I giggled

"Well it's true! I am going to be the Hokage, believe it!"

He huffed a breath out and folded his arms.

"Well I guess I'll get to see if you're good on your word from next door… Neighbor."

"hunh?" He said screwing up his face and looking as if I'd completely confused him.

Shikamaru let out another sigh looking utterly pained by Naruto's ignorance

"She means she moved in next door you idiot, sheesh do you understand anything?"

"What really? I didn't even notice…" He said leaning over to look at the door to my apartment.

"Gee thanks." I said scratching the back of my head and dipping my eyebrows.

"Hee Hee, sorry."

"Well I can't say I envy you Seraphina, good luck with that. I'll see you around." Shikamaru turned and held two fingers up in a wave as he began to walk away.

"See ya." I called and began to head up the stairs to my apartment. The wooden steps creaked as I made my way to the top, only to find Naruto standing in my way.

"So, what's with you and Shikamaru?" Naruto said leaning in real close and squinting his eyes suspiciously at me.

"Are you two like dating or something?" He prodded nosily.

"What?! No!" I said shaking my head and waving off his accusations.

"I just met the guy today! He was just being nice is all, sheesh." I said in exasperation.

I was beginning to understand why Shikamaru had seemed to look exhausted every time Naruto was around…

"That's jumping to conclusions pretty quick, don't you think?"

"Yeah I guess you're right." He said folding his arms behind his head and moving aside to let me pass.

"So, where are you from? You're that new chick Grandma Tsunade was telling us about right?"

My first though was 'Grandma Tsunade?' But then my stomach tightened as I realized he must know about me like Shikamaru did.

"You mean the Lady Hokage? Yes, I was the one she was telling you about… I'm not really from any specific place, we were always on the move. I use to live here in the leaf village with my family but…" I let my sentence trail off.

"Then your mom made you and your siblings leave to help Orochimaru, That's what Grandma Tsunade said."

It sounded merely like an observation so I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Yeah." I replied not really knowing what else to say.

I was trying hard not to think about what he thought of me, but I wanted so badly for people to not see my Mother in me.

"That guys a real monster, I can't stand him…" Naruto said with a distant expression.

Was he thinking about how I must be a monster too? I said nothing as I stood there next to him with my head down.

"It makes me so angry to find out he infected another person, all he does is go around spreading his poison and it makes me sick." His voice was hushed with anger.

I couldn't bear the thought of him putting me into the same category as Orochimaru.

"I'm not like them Naruto. Please don't put me in the same group… I promise I'm different."

He turned to me then with a calm smile.

"I didn't think you were like them."

His response took me off guard completely.

"You… Didn't?"

He walked over to the railing and leaned against it looking up at the stars. Wanting to hear what he had to say, I went over to join him.

"Orochimaru took one of my best friends." He began.

"As my team and I have fought to get him back, we've uncovered a whole lot of other terrible things caused by Orochimaru. I can't lie, I was beyond ticked when I found out you were helping that snake, and that we let you into the village anyway, but then Grandma Tsunade told us something else."

I watched him as he spoke wondering what he might be talking about.

"She told us that when you got here you were completely alone, wounded, and had nearly collapsed at the gate with exhaustion. She said you looked terrified."

I clenched my jaw tight. 'They must have seen me as a big baby' I thought to myself.

"I was just tired." I mumbled.

"I wasn't calling you a coward or anything." Naruto reassured and smiled at me again.

I wasn't following this strange yellow haired boy.

"She told us when they had offered you a hand, you nicely declined and then smiled at them as if you were perfectly fine. Then Grandma Tsunade said the Anbu wanted to question you immediately, before even stopping by the hospital or anything, but she told them to let you rest. Instead you insisted on letting them do the questioning then and there if they wanted, and with a smile again. The same thing happened when she told you that if things didn't go right, that she would have to tell you to leave the village. She said you smiled and told her you understood… Even though she could tell you looked scared and lost.

I looked out over the railing not wanting to make eye contact with him. I didn't want to be out here anymore, why had I insisted on trying to find out what he was thinking?

"I'm not sure what you're getting at." I said tonelessly.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is as I was listening to Grandma Tsunade, I began to think you had no choice in helping Orochimaru. It was something you were forced into by your Mom, and by running away from it you had become completely alone." He sounded as if he were saddened by the fact.

I had the urge to look at him then, but since I couldn't deny what he said, I decided to continue looking out onto the city. How had he gotten all that out of what she had told them?

"I realized my theory was right when I remembered looking back into the Ramen shop when Shikamaru and I were leaving, and thinking you looked really lonely. You made a sacrifice to come back to the Leaf Village, didn't you?"

All I could do was look at him wordlessly. He nodded to himself.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. I started to believe you weren't like Orochimaru or anyone who serves him."

I fully turned to him then.

"How can you tell that?" I asked unconvinced.

"I mean I'm glad that's what you believe, but it doesn't really explain why you believe it…"

"Sure it does." Naruto said and he gave me a squinty eyed smile.

"Every time you were in a hard place you smiled and kept going, even when it wasn't the easy thing to do. Someone like Orochimaru wouldn't do that, they would give up and take the easy way, they would use others to get what they wanted and never think twice about it." Naruto nodded his head sure of himself.

"The fact that you chose to be lonely to do what's good instead of doing what's wrong and being with others is proof. I've been alone enough to know how painful it is… Seeing you continue to have hope and keep going should be enough to convince anyone!" He gave me a goofy grin.

"Or at least that's what I got from it." He said scratching the back of his head finally having the mind to look a little sheepish.

Surprisingly I started to laugh, making my cheeks hurt from the sincere smile that had found its way onto my face.

"I will never lose my will to fight, that's my nindo, my ninja way!" I cheerfully mimicked his enthusiastic thumbs up.


	5. Guilty Conscience

Guilty Conscience

 ** _Standing in the woods I could smell something burning and began to look around frantically. In a matter of seconds I spotted large black clouds of smoke rising into the sky just a little ways off. I took off in the direction of the smoke to see what was going on._**

 ** _As I jumped through the trees from branch to branch getting closer, the smell of smoke became stronger and stronger. What was out here in the middle of the woods? And how would it have caught fire? I wondered this to myself, but for some reason wasn't able to completely focus my thoughts._**

 ** _Finally I jumped into the clearing to see there was a house way out here, and it was being consumed by flames. As I approached it cautiously, my eyes began searching for any sign that someone was here._**

 ** _Suddenly someone appeared._**

 ** _Standing in front of me was my Mother and she was smiling. Unlike most people who found it comforting when their parent smiled at them… For me I knew it meant nothing good. She was just as she always was, Pale hair that hung falling from its ponytail, and although small in stature, her presence overcoming as if she were a great tidal wave crashing down on me._**

 ** _"Where are Ayeba, Mazoki, and Coucine?" I asked her forgetting for a moment that we were standing in front of a burning building._**

 ** _"Why would you care?" She said instantly losing that smile. Her eyes dripped with hate, her lips curling into a disgusted frown._**

 ** _"You left them, you don't care about them." She spit in that voice that cut me._**

 ** _Fear gripped my body, but I didn't let it keep me silent this time._**

 ** _"No, I left you." I said back to her clenching my fists._**

 ** _"And if anyone doesn't care about them, it's you! You took them to Orochimaru, you took their freedom! You're to blame, not me!" I yelled as my breath came uneasily._**

 ** _"You don't care about them, you left them." She said looking at me as though I were the worst piece of trash._**

 ** _"You left them so now you can choose." She said pointing to the burning building._**

 ** _"Save your precious new comrades." She mocked in a sickened voice._**

 ** _"Or your siblings you already left once."_**

 ** _Screams erupted in my head then and as turned I could see into the house because of the fire burning it apart. There were two great holes, large enough for me to see my new comrades; Mialo, Tiberius, and Zenko Sensei in one room and my siblings in another. Although I could see them screaming for me to help them, their voices were actually in my head. My siblings crying out for me to come back, my comrades calling for me to prove I really was different._**

 ** _Looking back and forth and taking in the predicament my gut clenched and my heart squeezed tight. Let my family down or turn away from any chance I'd have to change my life. I put my hands over my ears to try to quiet the screams so I could think, but they only seemed to grow._**

 ** _"Seraphina! Seraphina! Seraphina!"_**

 ** _"Are you going to make a choice or just stand there? Why don't you just let them all die, it's not like_ you _care."_**

 ** _Her voice echoed in my head._**

 ** _*Not like_ you _care*_**

 ** _The voices continued to grow and my head began to throb._**

 ** _"Seraphina! Seraphina!"_**

 ** _*Not like_ you _care*_**

 ** _I couldn't take it. I dropped to my knees._**

 ** _"Why?!" I screamed._**

 ** _"Why do you always have to make my life so hard?" Tears ran from my eyes as I continued to crush my hands over my ears._**

 ** _"Why does it please you to see me suffer?" I questioned._**

 ** _"You don't care, you never cared." Was all she kept repeating over and over again in that voice that stabbed me. With those eyes that haunted me. In that way that killed me._**

I sat up in my bed feeling my heart beat rapidly in my chest, and finding I was soaked from sweat.

It was a dream. Another bad dream.

I sat up rubbing my hands against my face, then letting them fall into my lap. I was so tired, so exhausted… but the thought of falling back asleep to have yet another terrible dream made me even more tired.

"I need to get some sleep." I complained and stared groggily down at my hands resting in my lap.

"With those images still fresh in my head, it'll just pick up that nightmare where I left off."

I let out a long tired sigh.

It had been like this since the day I'd left. Every night I woke up from a nightmare that haunted me, and wouldn't let me sleep. As if the guilt I felt during the day wasn't enough.

Dragging my legs over the side of the bed, I got up and went to the sink to get a cup of water. I may have gotten away from my Mother, but she was still affecting me. The thought of that irked me to no end. Oh the satisfaction she would get, knowing she didn't even need to be near me to make me suffer. Would she ever truly be gone?

I shook my head trying to redirect my thoughts. If I kept thinking about how irritated it made me, I would never get back to sleep. Taking my cup of water with me, I walked over to the sliding glass doors that went outside and slid it open. I stepped out onto the tiny balcony that was barely big enough for two, and shut the door behind me.

The wind was blowing softly and the chill of the night cooled me down. I could still feel the sweat on my back that made my shirt stick to me, and grimaced as I plucked it away. Leaning against the balcony I took a sip of my water and listened to the sounds of the night.

"I wonder what they're doing right now…" I said not particularly staring at anything.

Would they be okay without me there to be the shield between them and my Mother? What if I had made the ultimate mistake by leaving them?...

"No. _No._ " I said to myself forcefully and shook my head.

"They will be okay, I have to believe that. They are strong and have minds of their own. If I invite negative possibilities into my mind, it's as if I'm condemning them. They'll be okay. They have to be..." I told myself and let out a long quiet sigh filled with tension and sadness.

I continued to think numbly as I cooled down in the night air.

Why couldn't they have come with me? Did it really seem like such a hopeless idea, to go back to the Leaf Village and live a different life? One my Mother was not a part of?

I could still hear my elder sister Ayeba in my head.

"She may not be the best Mom, but she's the only one I have." She had told me. That had been her reason for staying.

Can someone like her even be considered a Mother? Not in my opinion. Just because you want something with your whole heart, does not make it so. I knew that better than anyone it seemed. For so long I tried to think that if I wanted something bad enough and hoped for it constantly, it could become reality. Wanting and hoping just wasn't enough.

I've lived feeling as a failure because of that.

My Father must continue to drink, because I don't want him to stop bad enough. My Mother is disappointed in me and looks at me with those eyes filled with disgust, because I don't work for her love enough. My siblings have chosen a path of darkness, because I did not fight for their freedom enough…

" _Am_ I a failure?" I breathed in low tired voice as I looked up at the night sky.

When I finally made myself go back to bed, I managed to get at couple hours more of sleep before another bad dream woke me. Looking at the clock I saw it was 8, only a half hour before my alarm went off so I decided to get up.

Grabbing my cross body bag I filled it with my clean outfit for the day and threw it over my shoulder. I'd decided I wanted to go to the bath house before we had to leave for our mission.

As I opened the door, the sound of birds chirping and people starting their days filled my ears. It was so strange not having some task or bidding expected of me. Before, there was not a moment when I wasn't supposed to be doing _something_. The feeling of no obligations was almost uncomfortable, I thought as I walked down the steps making my way to the bath house.

"I'm free." I said out loud testing the words and feeling silly.

I kept my head down looking absentmindedly at the ground as I walked and thought.

What does it mean to be free? Is it just physical, or does it imply psychologically too? Physically I was free to do as I pleased and go where I wanted… But mentally I was hindered by guilt and confusion. So was I free? Or did I have to overcome personal confliction first?

"Hmm." I said and took a deep breath.

It was too early in the morning for deep thoughts. All I wanted right now was to sit in a tub filled with hot water and _not_ think.

"Maybe that's my problem, I think too much." I muttered to myself.

"Perhaps I should be more like Naruto, that guy doesn't seem to spend too much time thinking."

I chuckled breaking my concentration and picked my head up to find I'd nearly completely passed the bath house causing me to come to a hasty stop.

"Phew, I nearly passed my destination again!" I scolded myself.

"I really need to pay more attention, Shikamaru isn't always going to show me the way." I scolded myself and then back tracked a few paces to go into the building.

I entered the ladies section of the bath house after settling my belongings in a basket, was surprised and a bit disappointed when I entered the bathing area to see no one else was there at the moment. I'd been hoping for the idle chatter of the bath house to distract my mind. Letting out a small sigh I shrugged out of my bath robe and wadded into the hot water. The magnificent feeling of the soothing heat did good to brighten my mood, and eased the soreness of the cuts and bruises from my journey back to the leaf village.

It had not been an easy trek; I had fought for my freedom in more ways than one. When I'd left Orochimaru's hideout in the late hours of the night, I had known that eventually someone would come for me. My siblings knew I was leaving, but because they had not agreed to come, I hadn't been able to confirm where I was going. That had spared me some time, but just as predicted pursuers eventually showed their faces. What I hadn't expected was it to be thugs my Mother hired.

I had been very confused, I was sure Orochimaru would have sent his own men. What I found out from those thugs was that my Mom hadn't told them to capture me and drag me back, She'd told them to kill me. The message she had left with them being she'd disowned me, and planned to tell Orochimaru I was dead.

I sunk down into the water until it hit my chin and let out a breath.

I'd know my Mother was no more than your everyday criminal, that's why I had left… But to think she'd really send people to kill me… There was no looking at it in a different way, no hidden meaning. She was so rotten to the core, she'd have her child killed before admitting failure to her supposed master. She'd turned her back to me completely without a moment's hesitation.

Until that point I'd been her personal lackey. I'd done _everything_ she'd asked of me! All of the time I'd spent trying to please her, to earn her respect, none of it meant a thing to her! So easily she dismissed me time and time again, but more than ever in that moment. When she had ordered for them to take my life, she solidified the fact that she thought nothing more of me, than a tool for her own uses. I was not another human being, I was not her daughter, a child worth protecting. 14 years of life spent trying to obtain love from someone who thought I was no more than a means to get ahead in life. That's what I was to her…

Tears dripped into the bath water as I studied my rippling reflection in its surface. When I heard footsteps coming from down the hall I quickly wiped my tears away and put a smile in place of the sad expression. As hard as I tried, I couldn't make the smile touch my eyes.

The curtain in the doorway pushed to the side and a girl I guessed was about my age, came in wrapped in her bath robe. Her dark black hair was pulled into a large messy bun on the top of her head and she had an air of superiority about her. When she saw I was there, I couldn't help but noticed she seemed obviously irritated at the fact. Huffing out an annoyed breath she walked to the opposite side of the bath. I looked away as she dropped her robe and got into the hot water. Sensing she did not seem like the friendly sort, I kept to myself deciding I should get to washing.

"What's up with you?" The girl questioned tactlessly making my eyes widen.

"Hunh? Uh, are you talking to me?" I asked looking around to see if someone else had come in.

She raised an eyebrow at me as though she thought I was a complete idiot.

" I don't see anyone else here."

"Right." I mumbled.

"I'm okay, thanks for asking." I tried to smile convincingly.

"Then why are you crying in the public bath house? I can only assume it's because you want attention."

She lounged back draping her arms on the edges of the tub while gazing at me without much of an expression.

"What? No, I'm not crying, I'm fine really. I just came to get some things off my mind."

I could feel my face getting red. Why was it that I kept finding myself embarrassed lately? She didn't even try to disguise her doubt.

"That's believable."

My shoulders slumped.

"It's the truth."

Well, mostly…

"So, who are you? You're not from around here, I would recognize you." She asked, and although her voice had dropped most of the annoyance, it still sounded more like an accusation then a question. Reluctantly I answered.

"My name is Seraphina, I use to live here in the village, but was away for quite a while. I'm back now." I said awkwardly.

Still giving me a look implying she thought I lacked intelligence she replied;

"Obviously."

"So… who are you?" I asked squirming under her stare.

"I'm Saimai Heiju of the Heiju clan. Former member of squad 19 and apprentice instructor at the Konoha Academy. My parents are-" I cut her formal introduction off surprised.

"Did you say squad 19?" I asked sitting up out of the water.

"Did you know it's impolite to cut someone off when their introducing themselves? It's no surprise you're here alone, considering those manners." She said looking away with disinterest.

Had I actually gotten lucky enough to meet their old teammate? If I could gauge what kind of ninja she was from this conversation, maybe I'd be able to see where I stood replacement wise. Biting my tongue I decided to ignore the urge to point out that _she_ was alone as well and pled my case.

"Forgive me, it's just that I thought you said former member of squad 19, and that happens to be the squad I was just appointed to." I said trying to get her to understand.

Her head whipped back around to look at me.

"Wait, you're the girl that came from Orochimaru? _You're_ my replacement?"

Feeling a lot less bold at her reaction I shrugged.

"It appears so."

She looked me up and down critically settling on my breasts before giving me a death glare.

"What right do you have coming to this village after what you've done?"

Feeling self-conscious and defensive I covered my chest with my hands, and sank back down in the water to shield myself.

"You don't even know me." I defended myself feeling dread consume me from the inside.

How many people already knew about my past?

"I know more than enough." She stated crossing her arms.

"You're family left to help Orochimaru, a bunch of traitors and rogue nin is all you people are. To think you'd have the nerve to come back to the leaf village. I bet you helped to plot the murder of Lord Third too." She said giving me a nasty look.

My mind reeled at her words.

"No I didn't! Wait, Lord Orochimaru killed Hiruzen sama?" Only after speaking did I realize what I'd just said, and hoped she didn't catch it.

The way she narrowed her eyes at me suggested otherwise.

"Yes, he did. Are you stupid or just the kind of lackey that follows blindly?"

I clenched my fists under the water. I guess I deserved that one for calling my previous master Lord in front of her.

" _Orochimaru_ doesn't take the time to update all the people he surrounds himself with, especially subordinates at my level. I was only given information pertinent to my current objective."

"Regardless, I can't believe the Lady Hokage allowed you to stay, let alone join a squad."

"And Zenko Sensei's squad, of all the groups! Those numbskulls are hopeless enough without the likes of you." She said looking away and shaking her head.

She may have been right about me and my family, but I didn't see what she could have against her old teammates. I had only just met my squad yesterday, but felt a sense of duty to defend them.

I straightened, gathering the little pride I had.

"You're passing judgment on someone you have no clue about, and putting down your own comrades. Maybe you should take a break from your pedestal to see who's being the real numbskull." I said crossing my arms.

"You really think you have the room to lecture me? A run away henchman of Orochimaru? Your words are worthless to me. Besides, you don't know a thing about Mialo, Tiberius, or that clown of a Jonin. They might be a band of idiots, but I didn't think they'd be stupid enough to replace me with someone who will get them killed." Her expression turned distracted as she looked away in thought.

She seemed to be conflicted about something so I turned my attention to the rippling water once more and clenched my fists.

"I would never do that, unlike you I respect my comrades."

Whoops, that might have been a bit far.

"What did you say? At least they didn't need to worry I'd stick a kunai in their back while they slept, I've never been a traitor." She spit standing up glaring at me.

"Maybe they wished you would have, just so they didn't have to listen to you talk in that condescending tone." I retorted narrowing my eyes back at her.

Just then three more women walked into the room staring at the two of us with raised eyebrows.

"Hmph!" The other girl said and we turned away from each other.

"Deserter scum." She muttered under her breath.

I didn't say anything in response, but bit my tongue almost hard enough to draw blood, before unleashing a string of things I couldn't take back. As I proceeded to finish my bath, Saimai made sure to studiously ignore my existence which was fine by me. I couldn't believe how terrible squad 19's former team mate had reacted to learning I was their new member.

"What a nightmare." I murmured to myself as I got dressed in the other room.

"And I should know, considering how frequently I have them. Does she make clones just to compliment her all day long? How else would someone maintain an air like that?"

I continued to mumble to myself and stuffed my dirty clothes back in my bag. I redid the two braids I typically wore on either side of my face, but didn't bother putting my head band on while my hair was drying.

As I walked out of the bath house I took in a deep breath of the morning air.

"At least she managed to distract me for a minute there." I said looking up at the clouds in the sky for a moment.

My next task was to get some supplies before our mission. There were a quite a few things I didn't have after deserting my Mother and Orochimaru, but there were a few essentials I was definitely going to need if we were leaving the village for a couple days.

I took my time as I walked through the village and stopped in shops here and there looking for the tools I needed. Since my Mom never let us stay in one place for too long, it didn't feel so foreign to wander about wondering where to look. I was very limited on money I'd brought, so I could only purchase the absolute necessities… And then choose between the ones I could find a way to deal without since I didn't have the funds for all of it.

"Jeeze… I don't know how much further I'm going to be able to stretch the money I have left. Why did she always have to find some excuse to take my money? This would be so much easier if I had something to show for all the missions I've done." I complained.

Picking my head up I took a deep breath.

"Well, complaining isn't going to do anything for me. I've just got to suck it up for now." I said nodding my head.

A few hours later I took a short break to stop at my shrine. I was feeling like I needed the visit in order to calm my nerves about leaving the village for the first time since... That last time. I was hoping it would give me the strength needed to be strong and to have courage. After kneeling for an hour or so, I made myself finish my errands. At least the trip proved useful and I did feel a little better.

Once back into town I had a few more places and then finally decided I could live without the other items I was missing. I began to make my way home and as I arrived at my building, I began walking up the steps. That was precisely when a young brown haired boy came flying down the stairs knocking into me. He nearly sent me crashing down the steps before I barley caught myself on the railing.

"Watch it kid, you're gonna kill someone!" I shouted after him, but only saw him for a second longer before he rounded the corner, a long blue scarf trailing behind him.

"Sorry!" He yelled in a shrill voice over his shoulder.

"Sheesh." I muttered to myself and as I turned around to continue climbing the stairs,found that Naruto was in hot pursuit of the kid who'd just passed me. Naruto pounded after him hastily, catching my arm and knocking me off balance. Unable to react in time, I missed the railing and went tumbling down the stairs scattering my bag of new items across the floor.

"Naruto!" I yelled after landing very ungracefully at the bottom of the steps in pain.

"Sorry Seraphina! I'll make it up to you later! Get back here, Konohamaru!" He yelled after the kid and vanished around the corner as well.

"I'm starting to see what Shikamaru meant." I muttered in annoyance as I lay on the floor.

"Are you okay?" Someone asked coming around the corner.

I turned my head and rolled to my knees quickly when I saw who it was.

"Oh yes, I'm fine." I said sheepishly to Mialo who was standing in front of me.

He extended his hand and I looked at him startled for a moment before accepting it and getting to my feet.

"That guy always seems to be running somewhere." Mialo commented while looking in the direction the two had gone.

"So I'm noticing…" I muttered and then began to collect my things that had rolled in all directions.

"Here you go." He said handing me my head band after I'd picked up the last item.

"Thank you." I said taking it from him and then hesitated before putting it in my bag.

"So… What are you doing here?" I asked hoping not to come off rude.

"It's not that I'm unhappy to see you, it's just a… surprise is all." I explained feeling awkward.

"I know it's unannounced, but I thought it would be good to meet up with you beforehand to apologize for yesterday." He explained surprising me further.

"You apologize?" I asked confused.

"I should be the one saying sorry…" I hung my head.

"I lost my temper yesterday, and I usually don't do that sort of thing. I hope you can forgive me." I said feeling ashamed.

"We were the ones to start it though. If the Lady Hokage says you're to be trusted, then we should not have questioned it." He said giving me a look that was all business.

"Oh. Thank you for giving me another chance." I said nodding to him.

Something seemed a little off about him being here and his explanation. What would have made him change his mind so quickly? Was it simply because Zenko Sensei had told us he wanted us to get along? Or maybe it _really was_ just that he believed they could trust Lady Hokage's judgment. Perhaps I was being skeptical for no reason other than I wasn't use to people not hiding their true intentions.

"It's almost time to meet for our mission." I said changing the topic.

"Excuse me, I have to finish getting ready." I said beginning to head back up the steps once more.

"Do you mind if I tag along?" Mialo asked nonchalantly.

I froze mid step taken off guard. He wanted to come into my apartment? But my place was pathetically empty… I didn't even have a table, and all I had for a bed was a bed roll that I was going to be taking on our mission…

"I-Uh… You want to come in?" I asked sounding utterly stupid but unable to help it.

I didn't want my teammate to see I owned practically nothing… But what was I supposed to do?

"Sure… unless there's a problem?" Mialo said looking at me in a way that seemed to over emphasize the innocence of the request.

Not seeing how I could turn down the request without looking suspicious, I nodded my head in compliance.

"There's no problem." I said feeling glum I couldn't avoid the situation.

How had he even known where I live?

"It's just upstairs." I said moving once more.

He followed behind me quietly and the stood waiting patiently as I took out my key and unlocked the door.

"Here we are." I said uneasily and walked into the bare space.

Following me in, I watched as Mialo glanced around my new home.

"Hmm…" He said.

"Did somebody rob you Seraphina?" He asked with an arched eyebrow as he continued to look around.

At his question my head nearly hit the floor as it fell forward, my shoulders dropping in exasperation.

"Why would you think that?" I asked miserably and still hanging my head.

"Well there's hardly anything in here… And it appears you've been sleeping in just a bed roll." He replied.

"I've only seen one other persons home like this, and it was because someone had broken in and stole all their stuff. Now that I recall though… Someone had just been pulling a prank on them. Did someone pull a prank on you too?" He questioned and turned to me honestly confused.

"Uhhh… Not exactly." I said looking up at him embarrassed by the truth and scratched the back of my head.

"It's that I just moved in so I don't have much." I said.

"Why don't you just go and buy some stuff?" Mialo asked still looking confused.

I thought of my money purse and how filled with air it was. I didn't really want to discuss the fact that I was excruciatingly poor.

"I don't like to live excessively." I trailed and laughed sheepishly hoping he didn't see through my façade.

"You only have one cup and a bowl." He said noticing the shelves were bare.

"You must take your lifestyle very seriously…" He said putting his hand to his chin and looking very intrigued.

"Uhhh… Yeah." I said somehow not relieved by the fact he'd believed my lie.

Wanting to avoid more questions I took advantage of the break in our conversation to set my bag down and head to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

"I'll be back." I assured him as I grabbed my headband and shut the door behind me.

When the door was shut I stood in front of the mirror and let out a long but quiet breath. My hair had gotten fuzzy and messed up from shopping and then falling down the stairs.

"I'm going to wring Naruto's neck when I see him." I grumbled as I undid my braids and brushed my hair quickly.

When it was smooth and untangled, my brown hair was pretty long I noticed. I neatly braided my hair again and then tied my headband as a bandanna around my head as I usually did. When I was done I took a second to look at my reflection.

"Those braids make your face wider." Said a sharp voice in my head and I flinched.

That had been something my Mother had repeatedly told me. As I looked in the mirror at myself, I couldn't keep from hearing her voice.

"You know you could stand to lose a few pounds. Why don't you put make up on to cover those red cheeks. Dark brown is such an unappealing eye color, too bad you took after your Father."

I looked away longing for the criticizing to stop. I wished I could step out of my body and put on another one. It felt as though mine were beyond repair. Because of these voices in my head, I didn't enjoy looking at my reflection or even taking pictures. I felt like one giant flaw.

Shaking my head I pushed the unnecessary thoughts from my mind and opened the door.

As I came out I noticed Mialo staring at something in his hand. Puzzled I took a closer look as I approached him.

"Is this your family?" He asked turning to me and I immediately realized what he had.

"Why do you have that?" I asked unable to keep the anger out of my tone. I quickly went over to him and took the photograph that he was holding.

"Were you snooping through my stuff?" I asked annoyed that I had not even considered the possibility he'd do so.

"Yes." Mialo said putting his hands in his pockets and looking unapologetic.

I was taken slightly by surprise that he'd so blatantly admit to his actions. Surprised, but now even more angry.

"What the hell for? Was that whole line about trusting the Lady Hokage just garbage?" I demanded.

Mialo waited patiently for me to finish snarling at him before responding.

"Mostly." He said not seeming to take much interest in my anger.

"Tiberius doesn't trust you, and thinks you could pose a threat to us."

My stomach tightened and I let my glare drop to the floor. I had let myself think it was possible I was getting another chance, when in reality I'd never gotten one in the first. Sadness overcame me and all of a sudden I wanted to be alone so I could grieve in private.

"Get. Out." I said in an even voice that hung on the edge of fury.

I don't know what it was about being away from my Mother and Orochimaru that made this fierce anger spark in me like it never had before.

"Be honest with yourself, you knew my intentions were not just to apologize." He said with his hands still in his pockets, but didn't move.

"You know what the sad thing is?" I asked raising my voice again and clenching my fists.

"You're right. I did know you must have been up to something. I wanted so bad to be wrong though, so I invited you into my crappy little space I can't even afford to fill. I let you in and gave you a chance. But you must not know what that is right? Considering you never did that for me."

I was trying hard to contain my anger, but it was rolling around in me like angry waves on the sea.

For a fraction of a second it appeared I had elicited a reaction out of the unwavering boy, as I caught his expression falter.

"Get out." I repeated half heartily with sadness touching my voice. Walking over to my balcony I stepped out onto it, throwing the door closed behind me without hesitation. I didn't want to stand there waiting for him to leave, I wanted to be in an entirely different space _now_.

A few moments later I heard the door to my apartment open and then close. From my spot on the balcony I watched as Mialo walked away.

Looking down at the photograph I blinked tears out of my eyes and then scrubbed them off my cheeks. My siblings looked back at me, and my heart clenched with so much pain I let out a little gasp and squeezed my eyes shut.

It hurt so much. The pain came from within and felt as though it were crippling me from the inside out. A second ago I had craved solitude, but now I felt as though I was drowning in it. I was reaching out for someone to take my hand, but there was no one there to do so. I sank to the floor of the balcony and slammed my fist against the wall beside me not even registering the pain.

"What an asshole." I growled to myself.


	6. A Rough Start

A Rough Start

A short while later I was sprinting to our meeting place and running late. After pulling myself together when Mialo had left, I'd finished packing my gear only to notice my special senbon needles were missing. They were the ones I had just spent some of my few remaining ryo on, so I invested a good deal of time hunting for them. After scouring the stairs frantically, I had to concede defeat with the threat of not arriving on time to the mission.

"Uh, I can't believe I lost them!" I groaned to myself utterly annoyed.

"I spent half the money I had left on those stupid things… Uh! Where did they go!" I pouted as I ran.

I had other means of fighting, but those needles were part of my special reserve. When I'd left Orochimaru's, I'd had a decent supply… But after fighting off the thugs my Mother had hired, I was dangerously low. Now even those were missing.

"I wonder if…" I began to think to myself, but my thought was cut short as I came into sight of the village gates noticing something unpleasant.

"Oh, please don't let that be who I think it is…" I muttered miserably to myself, already knowing there was no hope for that.

I slowed to a jog and then a brisk walk as I approached my waiting team slightly out of breath.

"You're late." Zenko Sensei said with a mischievous grin I didn't particularly like.

"I'm sorry," I said catching my breath and bowing my head.

"Something I wanted to bring on the mission went missing, I lost track of time searching for it." I mumbled.

"What did you lose? Hopefully something worth the punishment you'll receive for being late." Zenko Sensei said smirking at me.

Before I could even respond, the person that had been scowling at me since I'd approached spoke up.

"Probably poison she planned to slip in all of your food later." Saimai said snidely and narrowed her beady eyes at me. Her black hair was let down and flowing to her butt instead of the bun she had worn in the bath house. She flipped it over her shoulder in a practiced motion.

I turned to her annoyed.

"I'm surprised you managed to make it all the way here lugging around that enormous ego." I replied half to myself, not bothering to throw in much menace. I was not in the mood to be messed with, and had most certainly run out of the patience to put up with this snobby judgmental girl.

"Er!" She glared back at me.

I almost smiled when the ninja on gate duty snickered behind her. She spun around angrily, but not before they pulled themselves together to look innocent. Turning her anger on Zenko Sensei she threw her hands on her hips.

"I can't believe your bringing that- that _scum_ on a mission with you."

Despite crossing my arms and donning a bored expression, anger bubbled in my stomach.

"Having trouble coming up with words are we?" I asked tilting my head to the side.

"Girls-" Zenko Sensei began looking uncomfortable.

"Becoming an apprentice at the academy can attest to my intelligence," Saimai said curtly and cutting him off,

"But I suppose someone who'd abandon their own village to become disgraceful trash, wouldn't comprehend that." She finished, venom practically dripping from her lips.

Not only were the ninja at the gate watching us, so were Tiberius, Mialo, and the few people who had been passing by.

I gave her a bitter smile as my motivation to stay nonviolent diminished.

"If you were twice as bright, You'd still be dull." I retorted clenching my fists feeling the skin pull tight over my knuckles.

Saimai took an angry step in my direction and I mirrored her, fully ready to settle our argument.

Suddenly I felt the presence of someone behind me and I spun around grabbing the hand that was about to grip my shoulder.

When I got a look at the person who had suddenly appeared, I noted I'd never seen him before.

"You're pretty quick, for an innocent looking girl." Said the masked man in a pleasant mellow voice, and smiled at me with his eyes- or eye rather. His headband was pulled down concealing the other.

"Who are you?" I asked releasing his wrist and turning to find that Zenko Sensei had taken ahold of the angry Saimai.

"Kakashi Hatake, pleased to meet you." The older man said giving me a cheerful two finger salute.

He looked to be in his late twenties with long silver hair that stood up from his head. A mask covered most of his face as his headband covered his left eye.

I merely raised an eyebrow at the stranger.

"Thanks Kakashi, I hadn't realized these two had already met." Zenko Sensei said scratching his head sheepishly, but making sure not to release Saimai with the other hand.

"The pleasure is all mine." Saimai said dryly.

Brows still tilted down in annoyance I muttered back;

"Truly a pleasure."

Zenko Sensei glanced back and forth between the two of us with weary eyes.

"I suppose we can skip introductions then." He offered.

"Yes, skip introductions and get straight to the point. From the looks of it, Lady Hokage's letting any outcast loser join a squad." Saimai said looking right at me.

At my limit, I sprung forward as my anger flared. I dodged the older ninja as he reached out to grab me, and nearly connected my fist with Saimai's sneering mouth before the he caught me. Grabbing my arm, he threw my momentum in a different direction forcing me to do a somersault to prevent myself from being laid flat on my face. After landing in a crouch I stood up quickly. Before I could escape, the ninja named Kakashi grabbed me from behind, pinning my arm against my back and restricting my movement.

I might not have been able to actually hit her, but the startled expression on her face was enough to make me feel a tiny bit better. I let my shoulders sag slightly and let out a bummed sigh.

"You almost had me for a second there." Said Kakashi sounding as though I might have impressed him. Too bad I had no idea who he was and therefor it meant little to me.

Snapping out of her shock Saimai continued her rant.

"This is exactly why somebody needs to reevaluate Lady Hokage's poor decision. Letting people like _her_ on your squad is going to get the three of you killed!" She threw her hand out gesturing toward me as she made her case to her former squad leader.

I struggled a little in the firm grip of my captor, longing to knock that girl on her butt. I didn't want to seriously hurt her, just shut her up.

"You caught me off guard the last time, this time I've got you." He whispered in my ear in a peculiar way.

It sounded as though he had enjoyed the fact that I'd made him work. What a strange ninja.

"Are you saying you're worried about us?" Tiberius asked with a satisfied smirk.

Her eyes widened momentarily before she crossed her arms and turned away.

"Of course not." She said in a much calmer voice as a slight flush touched her cheeks.

So she was concerned about her former teammates?… She had quite the way of showing it.

She continued.

"I just have a bad feeling about this girl. Don't the three of you _care_ that she was one of Orochimaru's lackeys?"

I flinched at that.

"Everyone knows the things he's done, why would you be so stupid as to allow someone associated with him onto your team?"

Zenko let out a sigh.

"I understand your concerns Saimai, but Seraphina was appointed to us by Lady Fifth herself. If you feel so strongly about it, perhaps you should tell her so. I must warn you though, how well do you think Lady Hokage will take opposition to her decision?"

She opened her mouth as if to say something and then after a moments hesitation snapped it shut again. After another moment of thought she crossed her arms and looked anywhere but at the five of us.

"I refuse to be the one to tell her, I'm not a messenger pigeon. I have things to do that don't include running to the Hokage with news of a screw up ninja." Her voice was even but her opposition was still apparent.

Everyone knew that if you went to the Lady Hokage with the intention of questioning the woman's decrees, you'd likely be tossed out the window of her office. I myself had already seen it happen twice and I'd only been here a short while. Apparently the Leafs Legendary Sanin had a short fuse and a strong arm.

"Speaking of which, I have no time to stand around here with a bunch of ex-teammates. I have important work to do at the academy. Good luck not getting yourselves killed." She said and after shaking her head began to walk away.

"So she _does_ care." Tiberius said nudging Mialo with a smirk and calling my attention back to them.

Anger bubbled in me again as I remembered that Tiberius had been the one to put Mialo up to snooping around my apartment. Glancing over I noticed the two of them made a point to not look in my direction.

"Well then." Kakashi said.

"It appears you've certainly got your hands full Zenko." He said and chuckled as his comrade sighed heavily putting his palm to his forehead in exasperation.

"I hadn't noticed." He replied.

"Now then, you won't go chasing her down, will you?" Kakashi asked leaning down to my ear once more.

"As satisfying as that would be, I'm not a barbarian." I muttered remembering who I was again.

"Good to hear." He said giving me my arm back.

I rubbed it absentmindedly and let out a small sigh. I was not looking forward to the next few days. I doubted Zenko Sensei liked me very much after that display, and I was already aware of the fact Tiberius and Mialo had no intentions of trusting me.

"Well we'd better get going, we've already got a late start." Zenko said recovering and heading out of the gate.

"See you later Kakashi." He said with a wave.

Mialo and Tiberius nodded to each other and then fell in step behind him.

I looked down at the ground feeling as though the world was against me, and looking for the motivation to join my squad. Could I even call it _my_ squad? I didn't seem to have a place among them, and they certainly were not standing there with open arms. In fact the only counter argument Zenko Sensei had for Saimai's objections to my being on squad 19, was that Lady Fifth had demanded it, so there was nothing they could do. He had not defended me against her accusations in the least, and that was hard not to notice. I felt discouraged and alone… Suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder. I looked up with a sad expression on my face to find Kakashi smiling at me.

"You know who you are Seraphina, don't let the way anyone feels about you change that. Let who you are change the way they feel." He said giving my shoulder a squeeze and then turning to walk away."

I stood there for a second as my hope was renewed before nodding my head and forcing myself out of my depression.

"Thank you." I replied before he'd gotten too far.

"Good luck." He called back to me without turning.

I turned and ran to catch up with the others reaching them in a matter of seconds. Falling in step with them I took to the left of the group and kept to myself. I took a breath trying to calm myself. This would be my first time leaving the Leaf Village since arriving, and it was making me think of the day my Mother had forced us to pack what little we had, and abandon the village for good. I couldn't keep my mind from flashing back to the sinking feeling in my gut, the pain in my throat from stifling the urge to cry, which would have certainly ended in me being punished.

I looked up at the sky and let out a soft sigh. I had been the one to reassure my siblings that day. It was me who'd promised we were only temporarily leaving, and that we'd be back to the Leaf Village in no time… That was four years ago, and in the end it had only been me to return.

My heart clenched painfully in my chest and I closed my eyes for a second trying to push the guilt out of my mind. When the time had come, all of my siblings had made their choice. Mine had been the only one pointed in a different direction, but I'd stood by it. I wouldn't force them to come with me because that would be taking their freedom away as my Mother had, I would never do that to them. No, it had to be their choice to leave. Still… As I'd walked away with tears in my eyes, and my heart breaking… A mental image of us jumping out of a giant nest wouldn't get out of my head. I kept seeing all of us jump and start to fall, but I was the only one flapping and fighting desperately to fly, to _live._ After struggling frantically for what would feel like forever, I would start to fly shakily and unsure… But I was no longer falling. Every time I would look back to call out happily to my siblings, only to find that they weren't there.

My heart clenched again.

From that point on I saw myself flying forward… But always looking back.

I pulled myself out of the memory by force and focused my attention on my surroundings. I didn't know if Orochimaru thought I was dead, but if he found out I was alive I doubted he'd let me go too easily. I needed to tell Zenko Sensei so at least they could be prepared if thugs were sent after me, but I really didn't want to think that was a possibility.

Gathering my courage I raised my voice.

"Zenko Sensei?" I asked loud enough that he should hear me, but not so that it carried through the trees.

"What is it Seraphina?" He asked looking back casually over his shoulder.

"Um- Well, it's just that… I thought it would be important to let you know… That Lord Orochima- I mean- Orochimaru- might know that I'm not dead. There's a possibility he might send someone after me. I don't want to put anyone in harm's way… So I wanted everyone to be completely aware." I said trailing off.

"Ah," He said rubbing the tuff on his chin. He didn't seem to be bothered by my slip of the tongue.

"Indeed… that is very important, though the Lady Hokage and I figured as much. If you don't mind me asking though, why would Orochimaru be under the impression you're dead?" He said seeming intrigued.

My shoulders slumped as he looked back at me.

"Oh uh… It's because of my Mother." I told him and he looked at me waiting for an explanation. I continued.

"As I was fleeing Orochimaru's hideout, I was attacked by a group of thugs my Mother hired to kill me." I said with little emotion.

"You're Mother hired people to kill you?" Tiberius asked disbelieving and turning around to look at me.

"Yes." I replied still mad at the fact Mialo and him had plotted to snoop through my home.

"She hired a group with the intention of taking me out after I'd left. She said I was a disgrace to our family and that she disowned me. She couldn't go back to Orochimaru with the information I had escaped, so she planned to have me killed to erase the problem." I said merely stating the facts. If I let myself think about how terrible the whole thing was, my throat would close up with tears.

"And the thugs?" Asked Mialo seeming mildly interested.

"What about them?" I asked blandly.

"What happened to them?" He asked.

"I was forced to take them down." I said feeling as though it were obvious.

"They weren't exactly given many options." I said in an even tone as I continued to keep a steady pace.

"What? No way." Tiberius said shaking his head with doubt.

"You against an entire group of hired thugs? It's hardly believable you made it to the village at all." He said shaking his head.

I turned to him.

"My Mother underestimated me, you should refrain from making the same mistake." I told him flatly.

"Hmm, we'll see about that." He muttered unimpressed.

"I'm sorry you had to endure such a situation Seraphina." Zenko Sansei said giving me a look as though he truly meant it. I was surprised. After the way I'd acted to his previous student, I'd thought for sure he'd hate me.

"T-Thank you." I said startled.

"Alright since were talking, let's discuss the details of our mission." Zenko Sensei said.

"Good idea." Said Mialo and we all gathered a bit closer.

"All right, First of all this is a C ranked mission. Lady Hokage wanted to test our squad after our new addition, so it's not going to be super easy, but neither will it be too life threatening if we take precaution." He looked around at us to make sure we were paying attention and then continued after we nodded.

"This mission will take place on the outskirts of the Land of Rice fields, aka the Hidden Sound village."

My heart faltered and I fumble to a stop at the mention of that location. All three members of my team looked back at me with questions in their eyes.

"What's wrong Seraphina?" Zenko Sensei asked wondering why I had stopped.

"That place…" I said feeling fear in my heart.

"Lord Orochimaru sent me on many missions there. I believe he had some sort of ties in that land, he was always having me deliver communications to someone waiting at various locations." I said putting my head down and feeling my palms get sweaty.

"Do you recall where those places were, or what the Intel was about?" Zenko Sensei asked.

Now that I thought about it, I realized I had no recollection of the exact locations or communications. Every time I tried to pinpoint something of those memories I hit blackness.

"I think-" I said struggling to form a clear thought.

"I think L- Orochimaru must have erased my memory of the details of those missions. I can picture the land… Just not the places we met or what for." I said frustrated as I tried to focus on the blank spots."

"How convenient." Tiberius muttered rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

"Give it a rest, would you?" I said tiring of his obvious distrust and turning to face him.

"I'm not hiding anything from you guys. I hated being there, hated everything about it, okay?" I said trying to get my point across.

"I wanted to leave for so long, I was just waiting for-" I cut off mid-sentence and looked away from him.

"I was just waiting for something." I said curtly.

"Yeah? Waiting for what?" Tiberius challenged forcing me to look at him again.

"You say you're not hiding anything, but you seemed pretty suspicious just then." He said pointing at me, his finger coming close to my face.

"That's personal, not something secret." I retorted pushing his hand away.

"If it's not a secret then why don't you tell us?" He probed leaning in to get in my face.

"Because, I don't want to." I said crossing my arms and standing my ground.

"That's enough Tiberius." Zenko Sensei said closing the discussion.

"But Sensei-" He said before Mialo put a restraining hand on his shoulder silencing him.

"Seraphina is our comrade. We can't assume the worst just because of her past. What we do know is that she's chosen to leave that life behind, to leave Orochimaru. Such a thing is not easy, it must have taken a lot of thought and sacrifice to manage it." Zenko Sensei said further surprising me.

"As for you Seraphina,"

I picked my head up to look at him.

"You're going to have to be patient with us. You may have decided to come back to the village and start a new life, but you are not exempt from the consequences of your time with Orochimaru." I bowed my head letting my shoulders droop.

"I understand." I said quietly.

"Having said that, I'd like for you to answer Tiberius's question. It will be easier to form trust between us if it doesn't feel as though you are hiding something." He said and I couldn't help but notice a smug little smirk on Tiberius's face.

Keeping the irritation out of my voice I turned to my Sensei.

"With all due respect Sensei, I don't feel as though I can trust you guys either." I said being honest.

"In the short time I've known you three, I've been attacked," I said lightly laying my eyes on Zenko Sensei, who made an embarrassed face and scratched the back of his head.

"Accused," I continued, pointedly glancing at Tiberius who refused to looked away.

"Deceived, and had my personal belongings searched." I said finally, resting my eyes on Mialo who looked as if he were only slightly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry if my unwillingness is bothersome, but you guys haven't exactly made me want to discuss my personal matters with you." I said looking at him without much of an expression.

"I can see your point." Zenko admitted and then let out a breath putting his hands on his hips.

"Very well Seraphina, if you say it is a personal matter, then we will respect your privacy and allow you to tell us if you choose." He said in a compromising voice.

"Thank you." I said bowing my head and finally feeling like an equal.

"Alright, if that's all settled let's get going again." He said turning around.

"At this rate were going to have to set up camp before we've even left the forest surrounding the village." He muttered and started walking again.

"Wait, you mean we're still going?" I asked surprised and jogging to catch up to him.

"Why wouldn't we?" He asked sounding unconcerned.

"I just thought that since we determined Orochimaru frequents that land, that we would… I don't know… Steer clear of it?" I said feeling my pulse quicken and my anxiety rise.

"Whether Orochimaru is there or not, we still have a mission to complete." He said looking straight forward.

"This added information is just another reason to be extremely cautious."

The group continued on without hesitation and I fell back a little. My mind was buzzing at the potential threat of running into the man I had run away from, but even worse… What if for some reason we ran into my Mother? A feeling of sickness came over me, and I had to focus to suppress it.

'What can she even do to you?' I questioned myself.

Why was the thought of seeing her so crippling to me? My knees felt weak as my body carried me toward the possible encounter. Along with that thought came the question;

'What would Orochimaru do if he found me?'

I'd seen the results of those who had made him unhappy, or who'd just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. My back was becoming slick with sweat as my mind jumped from one horrifying thought to another. I would face Orochimaru even if I stood there alone. My chances of winning were low, but I would go down fighting, that I would be sure of. As I chewed my lip in thought Zenko Sensei's voice made me jump.

"Just so you know Seraphina, You're not alone. If Orochimaru comes for you, we will protect you." He said without turning and said nothing more.

I was so shocked I almost stopped walking again.

'I'm… Not alone?' I asked myself confused, but trying to understand.

Surly he just meant that it was his responsibility to bring us all back alive. It made me sad to know that was probably his motivation behind the statement, but I let it comfort me a little.

'I'm not alone.' I thought to myself enjoying the way it sounded, even if it was only because it was in his job description…

"Continuing on the topic of the mission," Zenko Sensei said as we walked.

"The objective is to stop a band of bandits that have been terrorizing the people in the Land of Rice Fields. It's been reported that there is a number of missing persons, and a list of victims who have been found dead. So far there have only been rumors of the group, being there are zero eye witnesses alive. It seems this group has been using hostages as a means of getting money from the victim's family's, and by stealing valuables. Our mission is to locate these bandits, hopefully finding the missing persons, and put an end to their crimes." He looked over his shoulder at us.

"Any questions?" He asked and none of us spoke up.

"Very well, from here on we'll pick up our pace." He said jumping into the trees and quickly disappearing.

"Hey, wait up!" Tiberius called as we all hastily followed after our leader.

"We've wasted enough time, no more waiting." Zenko Sensei chuckled bounding from one branch to another without glancing back.


	7. A Bump In The Road

A bump in the Road

My legs were getting tired from moving at such a quick pace for so long. After traveling all day, we'd finally left the trees to walk on the ground, anticipating a tunnel that would take us through the side of the mountain.

"Sheesh, why the rush?" Tiberius asked folding his arms behind his head and letting out a winded breath.

"Don't tell me you're tired already, Tiberius?" Zenko Sensei said smirking at him.

"What? No way." He said crossing his arms.

"I was just thinking Mialo and Seraphina would get burned out if we keep at this pace." He said trying to look as though he were unbothered by all the running.

"Thanks for your concern." Mialo said giving him an exasperated look while shaking his head. I rolled my eyes without bothering to say anything.

Laughing Zenko Sensei shook his head like Mialo.

"The people who called on us for this mission asked that we come as soon as possible. I believe a family member of theirs has fallen victim to these bandits, there're frantic to get them back before it's too late."

"I would be too." Mialo said calmly.

"But at the same time, if we use all our energy up just getting there, we won't be very helpful."

"You make a good point Mialo." Zenko Sensei said looking distracted and then pointing ahead.

"Looks like we may have hit a bump in the road."

Looking forward we could see there were a few people standing at the entrance of what must have been the tunnel we were looking for. The only problem… there was no entrance visible.

Stopping Zenko Sensei put his hands on his hips.

"Alright Tiberius, since you're not tired, head on up there and see what the trouble is." He said with a sly grin. I almost let out a triumphant laugh, before realizing it would probably result in my own punishment. I wondered if Zenko sensei happened to forget I was late…

"Err…" He muttered, but followed his command with only a few complaints.

"Well then, we'll take this moment to break for a second." Zenko Sensei said and walked over to a shaded tree to sit and wait.

I took the chance to set my pack down and stretch. I was feeling more tired than I should because of the lack of sleep.

"I need to refill my water canteen, would you like me to take yours as well?" Mialo asked, seeming all too innocent if you ask me.

"I can fill my water myself thanks. I'd be more than happy to fill yours while I was at it though." I countered and he gave me a look of unease.

"Why don't you both go and take mine with you?" Zenko Sensei offered tossing his canteen to me, which I barely caught.

"Fine." I said as Mialo made a slight face, but nodded.

Grabbing my own canteen we walked off into the brush where we heard the signs of water. I said nothing as Mialo and I searched. It was only a few minutes before we found the source of sound to be a flowing stream that appeared out of the side of the mountain.

Jogging over to it, I happily dropped to my knees and splashed some of the cool water on my face. It was another hot day so without a cloud in the sky and running nearly all evening, I was hot and exhausted. When I was done, I looked over to see Mialo had already filled his canteen and was watching me. Feeling self-conscious my face began to get red.

"What?" I asked a little defensive, and began to refill Zenko Sensei's and my water.

"You look tired." Mialo said.

Apparently we were stating facts.

"Yeah, so do you." I said wondering if he was going to play off his tiredness as Tiberius had.

"No, I mean sleepy. Did you go to sleep to late or something?" Mialo asked appearing to not be all that concerned.

"No, I didn't go to sleep late." I said putting extra attention into filling the canteen, in an attempt to ignore his staring.

"So you woke up too early then?" He questioned, annoying me.

I didn't want to talk with him, I was still mad about the whole snooping thing.

"No. I woke up when I intended to." I said flatly and hoping he'd take a hint.

He didn't.

"What other reason would you be sleepy?" He asked seeming unbothered by my short responses.

Letting out I sigh, I gave in realizing he probably wouldn't let it go.

"I didn't sleep well." I said thinking maybe he'd leave it at that.

"Why not?" He asked.

Of course not.

"Nightmares." I said standing up and beginning to head back.

Mialo stood and followed after me.

"I've had them since I've arrived at the Leaf village." I added before he had the chance to ask.

"Hm. About what?" Mialo prodded.

"Nothing I want to talk about." I said dryly.

It was quiet for a moment and just when I began to think he might have given up, he spoke up again.

"Does it have something to do with that picture you didn't want me looking at?" He asked and my annoyance ignited like gasoline to a fire.

"What does it matter?" I snapped.

"It's not like my torment means anything to you." I said not bothering to look at him.

He was quiet again until just before we stepped into the clearing to join Tiberius and Zenko Sensei.

"They say a tormented soul is a guilty one." He murmured but it hit me like a punch.

"Yeah, well they also say those who preach to the choir, are equally at fault." I retorted stomping away from him before I did something I would later regret.

Walking back into the clearing we found that Tiberius had returned and was leaning against a tree close to Zenko Sensei. When we got closer I tossed the canteen back without a word and sat down in the grass.

"Thank you." He said nodding to me happily and then taking a drink.

I remained quiet, but gave him a head nod in acknowledgement.

"So what's going on? Are we able to get through the mountain?" Asked Mialo coming to stand near and crossed his arms in thought.

"Well as I suspected there's a bit of a problem." Said Zenko Sensei.

"Tiberius spoke to the people at the entrance, and they've informed us of a natural rockslide that's collapsed a portion of the tunnel. Nearby Earth style users have been rounded up to remedy the situation, but they don't expect to be finished until morning." He said, taking another drink from his canteen and then setting it aside.

"Hm, how bothersome." Mialo commented closing his eyes.

"Isn't there any other way through the side of that stupid mountain? They don't have a backup plan for this sort of thing?" Tiberius asked in an annoyed voice.

"Unfortunately no," I said speaking up.

"The only alternative ways are either all the way around, or climbing straight over. Both of those options would take longer than waiting here till morning, not to mention the fact we'd be exhausted by the end of it." I said leaning back on my hands and looking down at the grass.

"Huh, I though you said you didn't remember anything." Tiberius muttered.

I gave him an annoyed look out of the corner of my eye.

"I said I don't recall Orochimaru's liaison points, not that I forgot the geography." I repeated knowing it was probably a waste of breath.

"Well that settles it then. We'll set up camp for the night and get back on the road as soon as the tunnel is cleared." Zenko sensei said and then turned to put his canteen away.

"Seraphina and I found a good size creek just a little ways from here." Mialo said.

"If we set up camp there, we'll be off the road and have good access to water."

I stood up and stretched before grabbing my bag to slide it onto my shoulders once more.

"Good idea, you two lead the way and we'll get settle in for the night." Said Zenko Sensei.

About an hour later we'd finished setting up our tent, fire, and had even caught some fish for dinner. The sun was getting lower in the sky and dusk wasn't far away. Mialo was about to skewer our dinner and begin cooking it, when Zenko Sensei stopped him.

"Hold up there Mialo." He said with a mischievous smile.

"What is it Sensei?" He asked looking confused.

"You've all seem to have forgotten we had a teammate late to our mission today." Zenko Sensei said and I froze halfway bent to set a pile of sticks down.

I swallowed hard and set my load down before turning to face them.

"Although you are new to our team, there will be no coddling on this squad." He said giving me a smile.

"I understand." I said bowing my head and wondering what he had in mind.

"Your punishment will be a battle of 2 against 1." He said and I held back the urge to let out a groan.

I was so tired from not sleeping and then running all day. Couldn't he just demand I do a hundred pushups or something? I had been looking forward to our meal and then getting some rest. So much for that…

"Seraphina, you'll be against Mialo and Tiberius at the same time. This is the punishment I've decided on for your being late. I also thought this would be a great way to demonstrate your abilities and capability in combat." He said with his hands on his hips as he explained.

"Why are we getting drug into this?" Tiberius said standing up and crossing his arms.

"I hate to sound like a complainer, but Tiberius is right Sensei… Can't you think of a suitable punishment that doesn't involve us?" Mialo asked still crouching at the fire.

Putting a hand on my hip I looked over at them without much of an expression.

"What's wrong, are you two afraid of getting hurt?" I asked.

I wasn't really in the mood for training, but I couldn't say I wasn't going to enjoy taking a swing at these two.

"Ha, if I'm worried about anything, it's that you won't be a challenge at all. I'll be forced to take it easy on you and barely break a sweat!" Tiberius retorted.

"It seems like a waste of my time." Mialo said looking at me as though I were no threat to him.

"Go ahead, keep doubting me. It gives me the opportunity to show you how little you know." I said not letting them get me worked up.

"Alright, quiet down." Zenko Sensei said.

"You are all part of this team so if once person is late, everyone is affected. There will be no more complaining! If anyone is against my decision, then I'd be glad to give them something more fun to do. Do I have any takers?" He said with a poisonous grin.

Mialo rolled his eyes, Tiberius just looked away mumbling something.

"Very well." He said laughing, as he often did.

"The rules are simple. Each one of you will be given a flag to attach to your hip. Team Seraphina will be green, and Team Tiberius/Mialo will be blue. The goal is to obtain the opposing teams flag. If you lose your flag you are ejected from the battle."

"Seems easy enough." I said focusing on a strategy.

"Not so fast Seraphina, the part I've yet to mention might shake things up a little bit. Since there are two people on team Tiberius/Mialo, if one of them were to lose a flag and get ejected from the battle, there is one condition that would make it possible for them to rejoin."

"What?" I said feeling a little less sure.

"Yes, if the teammate left on the field manages to take back their comrade's flag, the person ejected may return to the fight. You can see how this might pose a threat to you, considering you are a team of one, therefore eliminated if your flag is taken." He said looking smug.

I steadied my nerves then nodded my head.

"I'm ready whenever you guys are." I said prepared for a challenge.

"Being alone is something I'm used to."

…

Zenko Sensei had already found a spot perfect for the challenge before even telling us about it. The location was far enough away from the road, that we wouldn't interfere with the ninja clearing the tunnel, and not too far from our camp. The area was set in the midst of trees and although we could no longer see the stream, I knew it was only a very short distance away.

"Alright, gather round." Zenko Sensei said after we'd reached our destination.

The three of us came to stand around him and awaited further direction.

"These are the flags you will be wearing. The band goes around you and then there is a spot where the flag Velcro's to it. You don't want it to accidently fall off, so make sure it's secured." He said handing the blue ones to Mialo and Tiberius, then the lone green one to me.

As we put them on he continued to explain.

"There will be no holding back so give it everything you've got. You may do whatever you deem necessary to obtain a flag, but that being said, you _will_ stop if you here this whistle."

Holding a shiny metal object to his lips, Zenko Sensei demonstrated by blowing into it. The whistle was shrill and ear piercing, it's sound resonating through the trees. The noise was impossible to mistake for something else, and very easy to distinguish.

I flinched at the sharp noise and squinted my eyes, as Tiberius and Mialo covered their ears.

"I think we get it." Tiberius said annoyed over the sound of the whistle.

"Good." Zenko Sensei said and laughed.

"Can we get this going? I'd like to eat soon, I'm getting hungry." Mialo said seeming inconvenienced.

"Just one more thing." Zenko Sensei said.

"The loser of this challenge will have a consequence."

"What? Another punishment? I thought _this_ was the punishment." Tiberius complained.

"Well this is the incentive to not lose, because you want to make it quick." Zenko Sensei said with a knowing gleam in his eyes.

"I wouldn't want one of you to throw the battle, just because you don't feel like training!" He exclaimed.

"Do you really think little enough of us to believe we'd do something like that?" Mialo demanded of our Sensei.

"Maybe, maybe not, but the punishment still stands." Zenko Sensei said.

"The loser will get 100 pushups, and pays for our next meal when we get back to the Leaf village." He smirked.

'There are the pushups…' I thought to myself.

"What, seriously?!" Tiberius exclaimed.

"You're just trying to get out of the bill." Mialo said annoyed with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

"Can you blame me? You guys get expensive after a while!" He said chuckling.

I looked off to the side in thought.

'Man, I better win this… I don't have the money to buy my own food, let alone everyone else's!' I thought to myself miserably.

At least those two could split the bill…

"This all sounds like a huge pain in the ass." Tiberius whined.

"Well then you better do what you can to not lose, otherwise it's going to be even more of a nuisance." Zenko Sensei said laughing it up.

I swallowed hard and then took a quiet breath trying to focus.

I could do this. I just had to be smarter than the two of them. Lucky for me, they were continuously making assumptions about who I was, and what I could do. I would use that to my advantage.

"Alright, any more questions?" Zenko Sensei asked looking around.

When we said nothing he nodded his head.

"Okay then…" He said crouching down and then springing up into the trees.

"Begin!"

Immediately Tiberius jumped into action kicking out at me with full force. I held my forearms up crossed, successfully blocking him, but was forced to somersault to the side to barely evade Mialo's outstretched hand grabbing for my flag.

Not wanting to give me the chance to gather myself, Tiberius began weaving hand signs.

"Fire style; Flame bomb jutsu!" He yelled and then after taking a large inhale that puffed up his chest, spit a large fire ball in my direction.

I attempted to scramble out of the way, but couldn't dodge quickly enough. I cried out as the fire ball hurtled at me, and then it hit with an overwhelming force, throwing me back and showering the ground with flames.

*Poof!*

What had been me on the ground just a second ago, turned into a crispy log as I landed in a nearby tree.

"Damn it!" Tiberius muttered and began to look around.

"You're always so hasty." Mialo said glancing around as well.

I crouched on the branch of the tree I was in and put my head down in concentration.

Man, if I hadn't managed to use a substitution jutsu just then, I would have been in a world of hurt. Clearly this wasn't going to be child's play.

"Hey Phinie, where'd you go? Don't you want to play with us?" Tiberius taunted and I flinched.

I was going to stuff that nickname back down his throat. What an annoying taunt, one I was sure I'd hear again.

Grinding my teeth I forced myself to ignore his obnoxious voice.

'Alright.' I thought to myself.

'Tiberius uses the fire style. I know to keep an eye out for that now… But what about Mialo?' I asked myself and lifted my head to listen.

It had gone quiet. Hesitantly I stood with my back to the tree and peeked around looking for a sign of movement. Suddenly a jingling rattle came from behind me and I jumped from my branch intent on landing on a different one. Mid jump something cold and hard wrapped around my ankle causing me to miss the branch I was aiming for. Falling a few feet further, I managed to catch myself on a different limb and hung on tight.

My ankle had been freed in the fall, so I managed to swing myself up onto the branch to find Mialo standing where I had just been. Along with a determined look on his face, was a chain that was weighted on either end. Ready to spring at any moment, Mialo gripped the chain tight as he swung it in a circle next to him.

'Interesting.' I thought to myself.

I had never fought against anyone who used a Kusari-Fundo as a ninja tool.

"Why don't you just give us your flag, we both know how this will end." Mialo said staring down at me.

"An attitude like that will likely get you killed. You never know what turn a battle may take." I said glaring up at him.

"Don't act so pretentious!" Tiberius yelled jumping from above and coming at me with a pair of nunchaku.

I grabbed a kunai from my pouch to block, but as I went to defend myself, I noticed something peculiar about his weapon. Unlike the typical wooden ones I'd seen, this one looked as though it were made of some sort of metal and was giving off a bluish glow… Was it sheathed in chakra?

With no time to dodge, I braced myself for the impact of the nunchaku.

My theory about the weapon seeming odd was confirmed, as it stuck my kunai blade with an alarming amount of force, sending a painful jolt through my arms as I blocked it. I stumbled back and turned in an attempt a leap to from the branch to get some distance from the two.

"I don't think so." Mialo said launching out his Kusari to wrap around my right wrist.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Tiberius came at me again, swinging the nunchaku. Although it was difficult, I manage to dodge his first couple of swings. I wasn't fast enough to escape the third.

Before I could duck the last one, he managed to clip me, shooting pain into my left shoulder where it had just barely connected. I needed to get out of the position I was in, _fast._

Taking in my surroundings, I noted Mialo holding onto the chain that gripped my wrist, and let a spur of the moment idea decide for me. Jumping back to dodge another blow from Tiberius, I gripped the chain that wrapped my wrist, and dove from the branch we were standing on. I made a point to put my weight into my jump, yanking down with all my strength on the chain.

I succeeded in catching Mialo off guard, causing him to jolt forward and pulling him down with me.

As Mialo began to fall, slack in the chain formed enough for me to slide free and grab ahold of a branch. Swinging myself up, I landed lightly on my feet, then quickly flipped backwards off the branch hitting the ground with a soft thud, and got to work making hand signs.

Horse, dog, dragon, monkey, Hare.

"Lightning Style; Lightning Beast Rush!" I yelled slamming my hands down onto the dirt. Bolts of electricity sprang from my fingertips taking on the loose shape of a dozen rabbits that scattered in all directions.

Mialo landed in a crouch on the ground not far from me, and had to immediately jump to his feet to dodge the electrified rabbits that charged him. Looking up, I watched for a second as my beasts raced up the trees in Tiberius's direction.

Seizing the precious opportunity I'd created, I took off into the trees to regroup and form a strategy. As I left the two behind me, I heard Tiberius give a shout. One of my rabbits must have made contact; the knowledge had me smirking to myself. The shock wasn't enough to kill someone, but it definitely left you with a sting.

I went in the direction of the sound of water and reached it in matter of moments. With a quick look behind me to check for pursuers, I sprinted out onto the surface of the water. When I was in the middle of the stream I formed a couple of simple hand signs and then knelt while still on the surface of the water. Using chakra control, I released a steady current of electricity through my finger tips and rested them against the water. It only took seconds for the water around me to sparkle with the flow of electricity running through it.

"This should keep them at a distance for a moment." I thought to myself and then shut my eyes in concentration.

I needed to gather the information I had.

Alright. Tiberius uses the fire style and also seems to be a practiced user of a special kind of nunchaku. Those nunchaku are sheathed in what appears to be chakra, making them far more lethal.

The thought of that reminded me of my shoulder, calling to attention the ache from where he'd landed a hit. I continued my analysis.

Although he seems to possess strength, he often rushes in or attempts to catch others off guard by charging his opponent. That was something easy to take advantage of, as long as you managed to dodge his attacks.

Now for Mialo… So far I'd gathered the fact that he uses the Kusari-Fundo… but not much else. This was bad news considering I'd just revealed my ability to use lightning style.

Unlike Tiberius, Mialo hadn't let his emotions drive him to make hasty moves. He seemed to be prepared to jump whenever an opportunity presented itself.

"Hmm…" I said continuing to concentrate.

There was only one flaw I could think of, I'd even pointed it out to him. Tiberius might have called me pretentious, but Mialo had me beat where that was concerned. He believed their victory was a sure thing, hadn't considered the possibility they might lose. I needed to put that to good use.

Just then I heard someone approaching and my eyes snapped open. Appearing out of the woods were both of my opponents, one looking more irritated than the other. I noticed Tiberius's hair was frizzy and sticking up from one of my rabbits electrocuting him. As soon as he saw me, a look of anger flashed across his face and he charged full force, intent on revenge. Having no other choice, Mialo followed after him.

Keeping calm I stayed crouched where I was, continuing my strategy formation.

"Don't act as if I'm no threat to you!" He yelled closing the distance in no time.

As I watched him approach, my attention was drawn to his feet, awaiting his realization of the electrified water. Seeming to notice the direction of my stare, Mialo faltered.

"Tiberius, stop!" He yelled and just in the nick of time tackled him to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Tiberius yelled furiously.

"I'm not letting her get away!" He shouted pushing Mialo off his back, then scrambling to his feet to charge me once more.

I stayed where I was, maintaining my train of thought.

"Tiberius." Mialo said angrily snatching up his arm before he could plow forward again.

"What?" He said turning to him fuming.

"Look at the water, do you not see that?" He questioned gesturing in my direction.

Turning to see what Mialo meant, Tiberius glared down at it searching of whatever the problem was.

Narrowing his eyes he made a puzzled expression.

"What is that?" He asked still irritated.

"She's running an electric current into the water. That's why she's kneeling out there, and didn't flee when she saw us coming. If you step into that water, she'll have your flag in two seconds flat. You'll be none the wiser, as you recover from another electrocution." Mialo explained sounding exasperated and crossing his arms.

Tiberius shot him a glare at the mention of the previous incident.

"So what, we just can't step in the water?" Tiberius asked seeming unconcerned and turned to face me.

"Not a problem." He said and started forming a combination of hands signs I'd seen before.

"Fire style; Fireball jutsu!" He yelled and after taking a deep breath, blew out a gust of fire.

'Okay.' I nodded to myself as I decided on a plan, and jumped into action springing away from the hurtling fireball and ducking low behind a log to shield myself.

The front of the log caught the brunt of the attack, sending embers flying into the air. Orange tendrils of flames licked around the log, itching to consume me and just barely being kept at bay. Huddling close up against the side of the log, I waited for an opportunity to put my plan into place noticing a dull pain in my shoulder. All I needed to do was get Tiberius's flag, as long as I managed to do that, my plan would work.

When the flames finally receded, I knew I had my chance.

"You think a log will protect you?" Tiberius yelled and I heard the splash of him charging my way once more.

Springing out from behind the log, I flung myself at him focusing chakra into my feet for an added boost.

"No, because _I_ will protect me." I stated meeting him half way.

As I'd hoped, I caught him off guard by mimicking his tactic to recklessly charge in, but it did little to slow him down. We met blow for blow as we exchanged punches and kicks, neither of us landing a solid hit before the other countered or dodged.

"Give up, it's two against one." He growled and spun in a circle to kick out at me.

I ducked and swept my leg beneath him to catch the leg that held him upright. I managed to knock it out, but he quickly used his hands to spring back up onto his feet.

"That's only a number, not a disadvantage." I grunted as I threw a punch he caught.

Just before he could twist it in his grip and use it against me, I threw my weight into kneeing him in the stomach before kicking off of him to get away.

"Oof!" He grunted, but straightened out in a matter of seconds.

"I'm done playing with you; let's get this over with already!" He yelled, his nunchaku appearing in his grip again.

I tensed feeling that pain in my shoulder once more. I couldn't let him touch me with that thing again, once was more than enough for me to realize that.

"Really? I thought we were having fun." I said pulling a kunai from the pouch on my right leg.

"But I suppose you were a little _shocked_ to learn of my lightning style hunh?" I said unable to help myself, and then winked at him.

"Pun intended." I smirked amused, fully aware of how cheesy the joke was.

"That doesn't even deserve a laugh." He growled as the nunchaku flared up with his chakra, and then he was on me again, swinging the weapon motivated by embarrassment.

Doing my best to steer clear of his swings, I made sure to keep an eye on Mialo. Up until this point it appeared he was keeping a distance and letting Tiberius do as he wished. It was my intention to keep it close combat with Tiberius in an effort to prevent Mialo from using that Kusari-fundo, but I hadn't expected him to just stand there. Perhaps he realized there was a great chance he would hit Tiberius instead of me… Something was off. Just then a thought occurred to me and my eyes widened.

Catching another swing from the metallic nunchaku with my kunai, I flung a second kunai paired with a paper bomb behind me, and into the log I'd used as a shield, then tumble to the side to dodge Tiberius once more.

*Boom!*

The paper made a small explosion and just as I thought, Mialo appeared from behind the log, dancing onto the surface of the water to avoid getting hit. Spinning I threw another kunai with a paper bomb, this one landing in the ground next to the Mialo on land. Before he could manage to get away, the paper bomb exploded taking the Mialo shadow clone with it.

*Poof!*

"Dammit." Tiberius muttered clenching his fist tight around his nunchaku.

"I'll give you some credit Seraphina, I didn't think you'd be very perceptive in the midst of battle." Mialo commented straightening.

"The two of you don't seem to think much at all, especially you." I said nudging my head toward Tiberius and then ducked the shuriken he whipped at me in anger.

"It's like you're actually trying to hurt me or something." I poked at him as we resumed our duel.

"It's funny how talkative you are when it doesn't concern Orochimaru." He retorted and my smirk melted away.

"Do you honestly believe Orochimaru would let information with any worth, come to a lowly subordinate? Even if I was given the information at some point, Orochimaru is extraordinarily thorough. He would have made sure to put a block in my mind so that even I would not recall it. What would you have done differently?" I questioned knocking the nunchaku away yet again, then throwing a punch with my free hand. Blocking the punch, Tiberius shoved me away and then started weaving hand signs.

"I don't know, I never would have left the Leaf Village." He spat and then steadied his fighting stance.

"Fire Style; Flame Bomb Jutsu!" He barked out and then exhaled multiple shots of fireballs in my direction. Sprinting off in the opposite direction of Mialo, it took everything in me to escape the path of fire as he continued to spit them out at me. Catching me off guard, he shot one at the water surface in front of me and sent me flying backward as it hit the water with force.

Catching myself with one hand dragging the surface of the water, I planted my feet then reached into my leg pouch to retrieve my remaining paper bomb kunai.

"I had my reasons for leaving, but that doesn't mean I wanted to." I said then snapped into action. This was my chance.

Standing I threw the kunai with the paper bomb at Mialo and while it was still it the air did a hand sign for it to ignite.

*Boom!*

"Ah!" Mialo shouted caught off guard.

It exploded knocking Mialo down and sent him crashing through the surface of the water, giving me a couple of precious seconds to deal with Tiberius.

"Block this!" I challenged him jumping into the air and then came down on him with the force of my kunai blade.

"Hah! No problem!" He retorted with a confident smirk and held his nunchaku with both hands intending to use the chain between them to shield him.

Breaking the surface of the water with a gasping breath, Mialo let out a yell.

"Tiberius, don't!" He called, but it was too late.

Slamming down on him with my weight behind my kunai, I sent electricity into my palms to transfer it into the kunai I held, and shooting it through the metal nunchaku I'd collided with.

"Lightning transfer!" I yelled out and maintained the force pushing against Tiberius's nunchaku.

Before he could drop his weapon, the current of electricity flowed through both ends of the tool and caught him.

"AHH!" He cried out as the volts emanating from my palms reached his own. His cry was cut short as I kicked him full force in the stomach, sending him flying across the water's surface and onto dry land.

He hit the ground roughly and collapsed with an

"Oof!"

Spinning around I plunged the electrified kunai into the water, in an attempt to hit Mialo with its shock, which immediately spread in all directions. He was on the water's surface once again, so my attack forced him back hastily which I took advantage of. As Mialo jumped to dry land, I took off for the opposite side of the stream and lunged for my opponent who was still lying on the ground.

"Tiberius, get up!" Mialo shouted but unable to do a thing, watched as I quickly snatched the blue flag off his partner's hip.


	8. Hard As A Rock

Hard as a Rock

Groaning Tiberius rolled onto his back. His eyes widening in disbelief when he found me standing above him, blue flag in grip.

"Shit!" He grumbled angrily and slammed his fist down onto the dirt.

I was feeling smug, but doing my best not to show it. Getting big headed is what steals victory from you.

Suddenly the sound of an ear piercing whistle rang in the air, and made me flinch.

*Poof!*

Appearing in a cloud of smoke, Zenko sensei put his hands on his hips and let out a laugh.

"Looks like you got ahead of yourself Tiberius!" He said and then reached out a hand to help his student up. Tiberius swatted it away and got to his feet without assistance.

I let myself smirk a little seeing Tiberius being scolded.

"You went and let a girl beat you!" Zenko Sensei said in a squinty eyed smile while still chuckling.

My smirk disappeared and my eyebrow shot up in annoyance.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" I demanded crossing my arms.

Winking at me, he put a hand on Tiberius's shoulder.

"A joke of course." He said with that mischievous glint in his eye.

"Sure." I muttered not quite sure if I believed him.

Changing the subject Zenko sensei turned to beckon Mialo over, who was already making his way across the water and appeared beside us in few short seconds. He approached dripping wet and with his hands in his pockets while shaking his head.

"Didn't I tell you not to use your nunchaku after her jutsu with the lightning rabbits?" Mialo asked, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh.

"I didn't think she'd be smart enough to turn them into a lightning rod, give me a break!" Tiberius muttered scrunching his face up and turning away.

"You shouldn't underestimate your opponent when you know little of their fighting style." Zenko Sensei said, closing his eyes as he nodded his head and then opened them.

"That was nicely done Seraphina, but the battle isn't over yet. Although it's only 1 on 1 now, Tiberius can rejoin the battle at any time, if Mialo manages to retrieve his flag that is. That being said, if your own flag is taken, its game over for you."

I nodded my head and then added Tiberius's blue flag onto my Velcro belt next to the green one.

"One more thing, if Mialo does happen to retrieve the other blue flag, Tiberius will join the battle immediately without warning. There will be no whistle, so maintain awareness at all times." He concluded with a nod of his head.

Smirking at us, Zenko Sensei took his hand off Tiberius's shoulder and made a few hand signs.

"The battle continues until one of the teams is flagless. Begin!"

With a *poof*, Zenko vanished taking Tiberius in the cloud of smoke with him.

Mialo wasted no time and jumped back a few feet before beginning to weave hands signs.

Horse, ox, ram, boar, snake.

Slamming his hands down onto the earth Mialo let out a shout.

"Earth Style; 10 Ton Ground Breaker!"

The ground beneath us trembled and then exploded into giant chunks of earth that sent me flying into the air while dodging rocks. Covering my head was all I could manage, as I was pummeled with the earth that came to life around me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the glint of something metal. Panic swelled in my stomach when I realized it was sunlight bouncing off Mialo's headband. He was easily maneuvering the falling earth, and closing the space between us quickly.

It was earth style was it? I had been waiting to see what Mialo had up his sleeve, it appeared he was finally taking our battle seriously. I was far from done myself though, I had a few things left in my reserve as well.

Weaving a few hand signs I sheathed my fists in electricity.

"Huh!" I yelled punching through a large rock heading toward me. The mass smashed into multiple pieces allowing me to push off another large chunk, and throw myself away from Mialo.

Before I was clear of his justu, Mialo jumped into the air spinning and kicked three large chunks of falling earth in my direction. I was unable to dodge the assault and shielded my face with my forearms as I was struck with the oncoming earth.

The rocks hit me hard and sent me flying into the cliff side not far from us.

"Eh!"

I grunted trying not to show weakness, but found it difficult as I hit the ground gracelessly. I immediately rolled to the side as Mialo came down on me with a fist armored in rock. Grazing the same shoulder Tiberius had struck, Mialo's fist hit the ground leaving an impressive hole where I'd just been.

I used the momentum from my roll to get back onto my feet and pulled a handful of shuriken from my leg pouch.

"Huh!" I called releasing them from my grip and throwing them at Mialo who clasped his hands together and then stomped his foot down. Rock shot up from the ground just in time to block the shuriken I threw, and then fell at his feet once more.

"You've been holding back." I said to him panting slightly.

"I don't tend to waste effort on things that aren't worth my time. You're an exception." He said in that mellow tone, but was panting slightly himself and covered from head to toe in dirt that clung to him from falling in the water.

I frowned and shook my head irritated.

"You refuse to admit I'm more of a challenge then you anticipated." I said getting in my fighting stance.

"I managed to get your partner's flag, does that prove nothing?"

I wanted him to acknowledge I was more skilled as a ninja then he'd predicted.

"You shouldn't mistake luck for skill." He retorted then stomped the ground once again shooting rocks upward, and launching them at me with a couple more kicks.

"You assume you know the difference!" I yelled angrily and then weaved hand signs of my own.

Hare, dragon, bird.

"Wind style; Wind push!" I called out and thrust my open palms forward.

With the chakra I'd focused into my palms, I sent a burst of air at Mialo, shooting his own rocks back at him. Wide eyed he took the blast of air and rocks head on, and slammed against the cliff side he'd thrown me into a moment ago.

"Eh!" He said hitting the wall and landing in a crouch as he hit the ground.

I reached into my weapons pouch closing my fingers around the objects I was looking for and held them firmly in my grip.

"Lightning _and_ wind?" He said mostly to himself with a look of distain and disbelief.

I'd finally managed to turn that mellow expression into a somewhat bewildered frown.

"I'll force you to acknowledge me." I said tonelessly and then threw down the smoke bombs I held before I vanished from the area.

I stood in a tree leaning against the trunk with my eyes closed.

I'd gotten ahead of myself there… I shouldn't have revealed my wind nature just yet, but the urge to wipe that composed expression off Mialo's face had won over logic. If I'd still been with my Master and Orochimaru, there would have certainly been a severe punishment for acting so immature.

I let out a sigh.

Had all my time with those terrible people been wasted? How could I be acting so foolish and childish in such a short amount of time? Not only that, I had overused my stock of ninja tools, and was down to a few smoke bombs and a handful of shuriken. There were more in my pack at our camp site, but for the rest of this battle, I was going to have to do without.

I might of given away more then I should have, but Mialo had shown his hand as well. He uses earth style, but earth is weak against lightning.

"Hmm…" I hummed out loud as I thought.

"I'm going to have to change a couple things with my original plan." I said opening my eyes and chewing the inside of my lip in concentration.

I needed to get Tiberius out of the way before I could use my wind style, that much had gone according to plan. The part I was missing now because of my impatience, was the element of surprise. That had been the key factor in taking Mialo down, but now I'd gone and messed that up.

"Way to go Seraphina, you just had to show off didn't you? To think I was above being big headed… I jumped right in there and took away any advantage I might have had with surprise." I muttered letting out a tired sigh.

It was getting closer to dusk and I wasn't getting any more energy. I needed to wrap this up, I was already exhausted from running all day, and training was kicking my butt with no sleep. I refused to give up and let them two of them win though. Throwing in the towel was something I definitely wasn't going to do.

But what _was_ I going to do?

I glanced up at the evening sky through the trees, concentrating on my options. The setting sun turned it into a deep pink and red with an orange glow that seeped between the trunks, making the forest look as though it were on fire. The breeze picked up now and again and it was the only sound in the last moments of daylight, before the crickets made an appearance. Listening to the wind in the leaves always brought my thoughts into focus. Suddenly a plan took root in my mind.

Just as I began strategizing, I heard a jingle which forced me to hastily managed a jump from my branch to dodge Mialo's Kusari-fundo once again. Unlike before, he was no longer hanging back to see how things would unfold. As I landed on a different limb, Mialo dug in his leg pouch, flinging a handful of shuriken at me which I hastily blocked with my last remaining kunai. Giving me little time to react he followed up his shuriken with a paper bomb. The weapon stuck into the trunk of the tree before igniting and collapsed my branch. I fell with it and somersaulted forward as I hit the ground to reduce the impact.

Mialo's intentions had been to get me to the ground to allow him to use his earth style. I discovered this as he hit the ground purposefully and began to weave signs.

"Rock push!" Mialo yelled and he stomped the ground hard before clasping open palms together and sending a wave of earth at me.

With the lack of time to react I took the brunt of the assault when I couldn't retreat from it fast enough. Shielding my head I tumbled backwards landing on my back painfully and feeling my skin tear as the same arm with the injured shoulder scrapped along sharp rock. When I slid to a rough stop Mialo was on top of me before I could get up.

I dodged his grabbing hands as he reached for my flag which grazed his fingertips.

"You're not gonna get it that easily." I grunted and then kicked him hard to push him away. It only worked for a second, but that's all I needed. I did a backwards somersault to roll onto my feet and held up my hands in fighting stance.

"Is that all you've got?" I asked challenging him.

"You won't get me riled up like Tiberius."

He replied, keeping his cool while holding wide spread hands in front of him.

"Huh!"

Clenching them into tight fists, he formed rock around each hand and then looked up at me with determination in his eyes.

"I don't care how many chakra natures you have, it means nothing when you lack the ability to stand."

Lowering his hands he shifted his feet slightly before flinging himself toward me.

"Getting ahead of yourself it seems." I muttered in low voice.

Lowering my eyes to my own hands, I curled them into half fists and sheathed them in my lightning chakra.

"Get over yourself!" I yelled back and met him half way.

I hypothesized the rock he used to cover his hands was most likely infused with chakra when it didn't so much as crack when we met blow for blow, despite my lightning being it's weakness. Over and over we struck out at each other only to be deflected or blocked. Tiberius had been stronger, but Mialo was almost twice as fast. As I flipped backwards a couple times to avoid a particularly strong punch, my body was reminded of its exhaustion. I landed a little shakily, then throwing my hands, up began to defend myself as a rock covered fist almost sailed right into the side of my face.

Ducking quickly I swept low attempting to rid him of his steady footing, but failed when he anticipate it and got a good shot in on my poor aching shoulder.

"Eh!"

I couldn't help, but let out a noise as his punch connected and sent me crashing to the ground.

I gripped at my shoulder but, was forced to let it go as his fist came down to prevent me from getting up. I crossed my arms to block him unable to right myself fast enough.

I braced against the impact and struggled to hold the pressure back as he stood above me forcing his weight down. My shoulder screamed in pain as my strength began to fail and my arms started to tremble. He gained a few more inches and panic jolted through me.

"Get- Off!" I grunted and threw all my energy into one last shove to allow me to roll free. Although this caused a concerning *pop* accompanied by searing pain in my shoulder, I escaped and without the opposing resistance, Mialo's fist slammed into the ground crushing the earth beneath it. With all the added weight of rock encasing his hands, it was no wonder his arms were so toned.

Panting heavily I launched to my feet, but when I attempted to form hand signs my shoulder popped again in protest, making me see stars.

With Mialo taking advantage of my weakness, I had no choice but to attempt to flee.

"Enough running!" He yelled and before I could jump back, rock shot up around my feet and ankles trapping me where I stood.

"Er!" I said startled and without thinking yanked my foot hard trying to free myself.

My struggles only caused me pain, because they refused to budge. Thinking quickly I used my hand with the good shoulder, sheathing it in chakra and began pulverizing my restraints. The first crumbled quickly, but Mialo was there before I could free the other and took the opportunity this presented.

Realizing my situation I did the only thing I could at that point… which was to turn my hip just enough that the flag he grabbed was blue.

" _Damn_." I muttered finally breaking the second restraint and freeing myself.

I jumped away from him still panting and clenched my good arm's fist tight in frustration. Jumping down from the trees Tiberius appeared and fist bumped his comrade before re-attaching his flag to his belt.

"I'm not letting you get the drop on me a second time." Tiberius said with a determined smirk and cracked his knuckles.

"Saying things… like that… Will make it so much more satisfying… If I do." I retorted between breaths and grimaced as pain throbbed in my shoulder.

Tiberius laughed.

"What's wrong Phinie? Getting tired?" He scoffed.

Irritation momentarily made the exhaustion and pain lessen enough that I straightened and as much as it hurt, mostly squared my shoulders.

"Stop… calling me that." I said frowning with an eyebrow dipped in annoyance.

"Make me." He challenged and after nodding to Mialo started forming hand signs.

I took a staggered step back and grabbed the last few smoke bombs in my pouch. I threw them to the ground without hesitation.

"Don't let her leave the clearing." I heard Mialo call to Tiberius as the cloud rose to separate us.

"She's low on chakra and stamina, let's finish this!" He continued.

That might be true, but I was full of motivation.

Ignoring the protest from my shoulder I snapped into action.

"Fireball jutsu!" Tiberius called blasting fire right into the cloud of smoke, nearly singeing me. Leaving the cover of the smoke I burst into the clearing facing Tiberius and weaving hand signs.

"Lightning style: Lightning Beast Rush-" My hand signs remained unfinished as a cold chain wrapped me from behind, and yanked me backwards off my feet.

"Oof!"

I fell back hard onto the dirt.

"Now Tiberius." Mialo called and pulled the chain tight around me.

"Already on it." He grinned wickedly as he made a few quick jumps to stand overtop of me.

Unable to move I struggled against the chain in an effort to get away.

"Damn it!" I muttered kicking out as Tiberius pushed me to the side exposing the single flag left on my belt.

"Better luck next time." He grinned and just as his fingers gripped my flag…

A whistle rang loud and distinct through the trees.

"Oh, come on Sensei!" Tiberius groaned releasing the flag before straightening and glaring venomously.

"Why are we stopping?" Mialo asked visibly confused and irritated as he looked around for our Sensei.

*Poof*

My substitution wrapped in Mialo's Kusari Fundo vanished as I appeared behind them.

"Beats me." I said startling them as they looked to the now empty spot I had been in, and then to where the real me was standing behind them.

"Wait a second!" Tiberius exclaimed confused and trying to understand the situation.

Not only was I not where they had detained me… in my hand with my uninjured arm, I also gripped two blue flags. I had quickly taken both after the whistle was blown.

"He blew the whistle, that doesn't count." Mialo said crossing his arms unconcerned.

"Unless he didn't." I said simply, and then letting out a tired breath allowed myself to sit, dropping without ceremony onto my butt in the dirt.

Suddenly there was a second whistle that rang through the air also very distinct… but slightly different in pitch from the first

It took a few seconds of silence that followed, but Realization hit Mialo first, and his eyes grew wide with understanding. He cursed under his breath and I wasn't compleatly sure, but I could have sworn I'd seen a little bit of red flood his cheeks.

"Uh… I can't believe I fell for that." He muttered with clenched eyes and resting two fingers against his forehead in an annoyed gesture. After letting out a sigh he began gathering his Kusari Fundo. Zenko Sensei dropped from the trees and began making his way over to us.

"Fell for what? What the hell is going on?" Tiberius said frustrated and turning to Zenko Sensei.

"Why did you blow the whistle to stop me from grabbing her flag?" He accused.

"Are you favoring her or something?"

Zenko Sensei chuckled.

"I didn't." He said smiling at his seething student.

"Yes you did! We all heard it! Though I'm sure Phinie over there will disagree." He retorted and shot me a glare.

"I told you to stop calling me that." I said pulling my brows together and shooting him an irritated look.

"And I did hear the first whistle." I added closing my eyes and shaking my head.

"See? Even she says there was another, you can't deny it." Tiberius said turning on our Sensei once more.

"I didn't say there wasn't another whistle, I said it wasn't _me_." He said still smiling as Tiberius struggled to keep up.

"What- Are you messing with me? What does that even mean?" He demanded crossing his arms.

"He's saying he didn't blow the first whistle, so the battle never stopped." Mialo grumbled annoyed his comrade wasn't getting it.

Tiberius raised an eyebrow in confusion and I almost started to pity him. I decided to throw him a bone.

"That still doesn't-"

"I blew the first whistle." I said attempting to roll my shoulder with a grimace.

"It was a fake, a decoy, an attempt to deceive you long enough to get your flags." I continued as I watched realization slowly light behind his eyes.

"Wait… That means we lost!" He exclaimed unfolding his arms.

"That's what I was trying to tell you." Mialo drawled.

"Shit! Does that even count?!" Tiberius cried fisting his hands in his hair and dropped his head in shame.

Zenko Sensei didn't bother to answer the question but just laughed. I just shook my head again and rubbed my shoulder gingerly.

"But- But how? Do you keep a whistle on you or something?" He demanded standing over me.

"That's a good question." Zenko Sensei said resting his gaze on me with interest in his eyes.

"No, I didn't need a whistle." I said and after sticking both flags to my belt, retrieved the leaf from my pocket.

"I used this."

I held it up so they could see.

"Do you think I'm stupid? You expect me to believe a leaf made that sound? " Tiberius asked glowering down at me.

I let out an impatient breath.

"Yes to both." I replied and then holding the leaf to my lips used the added help of my wind nature to make a shrill ear piercing sound.

My comrades covered their ears as Zenko Sensei burst out in hardy laughter.

"That's fabulous Seraphina! Where on earth did you learn to do that?" He asked eyes sparkling.

"My Father actually… I've only ever used it for amusement before this, but I thought if I could amplify the sound using my wind nature, I could make it sound similar to your whistle. I needed to draw attention away from the fact that the pitch was different, so Mialo taking Tiberius's flag actually worked out. He added to the commotion which was pretty helpful. After that it was as simple as smoke bombs and a substitution jutsu."

I ducked my head sheepishly and gripped the back of my neck with my good arm.

"Very nicely done Seraphina." Zenko Sensei praised me with a big smile.

Blushing I turned my head to the side and nodded.

"Thank you." I said quietly, not being used to such sincere praise. I flinched as I turned a little too far.

"So were you faking exhaustion too?" Tiberius asked still wrapping his head around it all.

"No, I'm tired." I muttered not thrilled to admit weakness.

"By the way… What's up with your Nunchaku? My shoulders killing me. Then again… getting punched with a fist made a rock certainly didn't help..." I murmured stifling another groan as the pain reached all the way down to my fingertips.

I gingerly turned my arm over to examine the cut that ran lengthwise down the back of my bicep. It was bleeding and caked with dirt. I may have won, but clearly not unscathed.

"Hah." He said smirking at me.

"They're a special chakra tool. A particular store in the village specializes in chakra weapons and that's where I happened across those. They leave you hurting." He grinned down at me.

"I noticed." I huffed.

The sun had almost completely set now, the only remaining light was a deep orange and pink. The crickets were out and the chill of night was beginning to drop the temperature.

"Alright kiddies, let's get back to our camp site before the lights completely gone. I'll get dinner going while Mialo and Tiberius get their pushups out of the way."

"How thoughtful." Tiberius muttered and began walking back to our camp.

Chuckling Zenko Sensei followed after him.


	9. Progress

This is a long one guys! Let me know what you think about the look into Seraphina's childhood!

 _I do not own anything in the Naruto world. Any original characters and plot are my own._

 **Progress**

'Do I have to get up?' I asked myself and groaned inwardly- or maybe it was out loud, I couldn't tell at the moment.

I took in a strained breath as I began to prepare myself to get to my feet, and was startled to find a hand outstretched and placed in my field of vision.

"Uh-" Was all I could manage as I peered up a Mialo who was simply waiting for me to take the hand he offered.

Trying hard to hold back my skepticism, I slowly reached up with my good arm and let him help me to my feet.

"Thanks." I said quietly to which he responded with a single nod.

Walking side by side we followed the other two without talking. It might have been more awkward if I wasn't dog tired and in pain, but I was, so I focused on the task at hand. Cleaning up and eating something.

Walking to my bag I shuffled through the few contents to retrieve a couple items and after gathering them turned to my Sensei.

"I'm going to wash up, I'll be back shortly." I told him.

"Don't take too long, this fish won't take much time to cook." He informed and gave me a mellow smile.

I nodded to him and as I turned to head to the stream, fought to keep the grin off my face at the sight of Mialo and Tiberius doing their 100 Pushups. Feeling a tad triumphant, I allowed myself a little grin as I passed them and headed into the brush.

The stars and moon were out nice and bright tonight. It was a very helpful thing when you were bathing in a cold stream at night. Truthfully the cold was the least of my worries. My biggest fear had always been, and still remained, being outside at night alone. It felt as though the darkness was both forever stretching out around me, and closing in on me all at once. I fought against the tight feeling in my stomach and forced myself to undress slower than my body wanted. If I gave into the panic in my chest and allowed myself to react as I wanted to, the fear that was ever present would consume me.

Focusing on my breathing and the cold water against my skin, I scrubbed dirt and soot from my body, gasping as the water hit my cut and wounded arm. Carefully I did my best to wash the drying blood and dirt from it allowing myself a few groans since I was alone. When I was finished I dressed, not bothering to put my headband on or braid my hair.

When I entered the circle of our camp I saw the two had finished their pushups and were sitting at the fire with Zenko Sensei talking. I returned my possessions to my bag retrieving the little medical kit I'd made for myself. Settling on my bedroll, I went about trying to patch myself up. I grimaced at the pain of turning my arm to see my cut and debated just leaving it un-bandaged.

"I think your shoulder is out of place, that's probably the source of your pain." Said Mialo surprising me from behind. When I turned I saw he was staring down at me.

"What makes you think I'm in pain?" I mumbled then winced as he nudged my arm with his toe.

"Normally that shouldn't hurt." He said smirking at me.

"Alright so maybe it's out of place, did you come over here just to poke at me?" I questioned lacking my usual annoyed tone due to my tiredness.

"Zenko Sensei said you could probably use a hand, do you want me to pop it back in place?" He asked in that easy voice of his.

Just the thought of that hurt… But I knew I couldn't do it myself.

"I- er… yeah… I suppose I'm not really in the position to send help away." I mumbled feeling my face heat up.

"Okay." He said kneeling down next to me, and I tensed as he rested his hand on my injured shoulder.

"This will hurt." He warned me.

"I know." I said and couldn't help but think of the many times I'd had my brother do this same thing.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Go ahead." I replied tucking my head down and clenching my eyes shut.

"Alright. 1…2…3!" He said and in a swift jerk managed to shove my shoulder back into its socket where it belonged. I let out a pained cry and he caught me as I fell forward, tears in the corners of my eyes.

"Sorry." He said quietly as I straightened and struggled to take in a shaky breath.

It was reassuring to find it no longer felt as though my shoulder were in an unnatural position, but the pain of putting it back throbbed horribly.

"Don't… worry about it." I managed still squeezing my eyes shut.

"Thank you." I said and when it seemed as though I would be alright, he released me.

"Let me see your arm." He said sitting down next to me, and pulling my medical kit over to fish out the antiseptic.

"I can take care of the rest." I said trying to hold back a grimace as I turned to him, but failed.

"Just let me finish." He said not negotiating and without another word wet a cloth with the antiseptic.

With a slightly annoyed sigh I gingerly lifted my arm allowing him to gently grip my elbow to steady me. I tensed slightly as he pressed the cold stinging cloth to my wound and then did my best to be patient as he covered it with ointment and then bandaged it up.

"There." He said and put the things he had used back into the kit.

Reaching over I rubbed the place he'd just bandaged to admire the neat wrapping.

"Thanks." I said yet again, finding it hard to make eye contact.

"You're welcome." He replied and handed me the medical kit before standing up and offering me his hand once more.

Looking up at him with an uneasy expression, I couldn't make myself reach for his hand.

"Something wrong?" He asked mildly.

I looked down and then over to the fire solemnly.

"Why are you being nice to me? We haven't got along since before you looked through my stuff this morning, and you lost in the punishment we were given because of _my_ tardiness. Is it because you're afraid Zenko Sensei might punish you?" I asked honestly unable to find any other excuse for his sudden kindness.

"No, I've dealt with many punishments from Zenko Sensei, they don't scare me much anymore." He retracted his hand then and put them in his pockets.

"Then why?" I asked getting straight to the point and turning my head just slightly to him.

He broke eye contact and looked up at the stars in the night.

"I don't know." He said with his eyes still to the sky.

"Mutual respect?" He said after a moment and then looked back down at me with no particular expression.

This seemed unlikely to me. Just an hour ago he clearly thought me lesser then himself. Had I really changed his mind by winning our battle?

"Mutual respect, because I managed to beat you and Tiberius?" I asked, wanting to see what he said.

"Hmm…Perhaps." He said after looking away and hiding his facial expression.

I smiled to myself and then a thought came to mind wiping it away.

"Wait, this isn't another ploy to search my stuff again is it?!" I scowed up at him.

"Nah." He said and then looked down to me with a little grin.

"I've already seen the four possessions you own." He said as his lips pulled into a smirk.

My brows dipped in annoyance as I glowered at him, but as I began to open my mouth a voice interrupted our conversation.

"Are you two gonna romance all night, or get over here and eat?" Tiberius taunted from the fire.

My glower turned into an embarrassed frown as I glared at him from my bedroll.

"Shut up, you don't even know what romance is." I retorted short on comebacks.

"Just ignore him, I do." Mialo offered but was still grinning as he offered his hand once more.

This time after huffing out a small sigh I accepted the offer. Grasping my hand he tugged me to my feet with ease.

"You can only ignore so much." Tiberius informed us smirking.

Zenko Sensei chuckled next to him.

Mialo and I walked over to join them, sitting down close to our small fire after grabbing our share of fish. I reveled at the warmth, momentarily and closed my eyes with a sigh. I enjoyed feeling it's heat seep into my clothing. I was tempted to just slump over and drift into sleep, but my plan was thwarted when Zenko Sensei's voice brought me back.

"Aren't you going to eat Seraphina?" He asked and I wrestled my heavy lids open.

"Yes, thank you for the food." I said bowing my head to him and picking up my chopsticks.

The fish was bland but cooked well, not too dry. When we finished, plates were piled and set aside. Zenko Sensei cleared his throat.

"Now that everyone's had the chance to beat out the kinks," He smiled wryly at us.

"Why don't you finish telling us about yourself Seraphina?"

My eyes snapped open when I heard this and the urge to dig a hole to hide in was overwhelming.

"But I- I already had my turn." I said quietly feeling my face go pink.

"So you get all embarrassed when you're not on the defensive hunh?" Tiberius taunted from across the fire.

I turned my head from him and studiously ignored their stares.

"We began on the topic, but never got to your dreams or what's important to you. I think it's essential we know these sort of things, when we understand each other we can reach a higher level of teamwork. So come on Seraphina, out with it. What's important to you?" He demanded with his friendly smile.

Letting out a breath I made an effort to look at them and couldn't. Instead I looked into the fire. I could have made something up, something to satisfy the question but also to keep me from having to talk about my true thoughts. The idea crossed my mind and I realized I didn't want to put effort into a lie.

"I have siblings. Three of them. They have always been everything to me." I said and felt a wave of sadness spread through my body. It took me a second to shake the images that crept into my mind and they were quiet as they waited.

"My dream… I-." I cut off thinking about how it had always been to return to Konaha with them. But it was so much more than that… To be free, to be happy. It had always been my goal to do that for them.

"I wanted to come back the Leaf Village." I said leaving out all the things that made it my dream.

"I suppose I accomplished it. Nothing left to dream about." I continued in a flat voice, staring with an empty expression into the fire.

It wasn't a lie per say, just not the whole picture… I wanted to form trust between myself and my comrades, but…Emotion was bad. If I thought about these things I would fall apart.

"And your siblings? What of them?" Tiberius asked lacking his usual harshness.

I stood up shaking my head slightly and wincing at the pain in my arm.

"I'm going to wash the dishes." I said hastily gathering the plates without eye contact and hurried out of the fire light.

Why did they need to know things about my life? It wasn't as though it could change anything to talk about it, and talking about it only made my heart feel as though someone had dumped acid on it. The punishments Orochimaru had given me were less painful. Approaching the stream I set the dirty plates down and then sat down next to them. Pulling my knees up I wrapped my arms around them and stared into the stream seeing nothing.

Ayeba, Mazoki, Coucine.

I squeezed my eyes shut and fought against the conflict in my heart. My shoulder ached as I hugged my knees tighter. Resting my forehead against my legs I tried to get control. Tears rolled down my face and I hated myself for being weak.

"Dammit." I mumbled into my knees.

...

Mialo had come to check on Seraphina at the request of his Sensei, but when he found her curled around herself sitting by the stream, he decided against announcing his presence. A ninja had a right to their privacy, even if he _had_ gone through her few belongings earlier this morning. The girl he currently observed was the same one he'd seen demanding he leave her apartment. An aura of pain surrounded her and for a reason unknown to him, Mialo found himself wanting to know more about what caused the intensity in her eyes.

When he first saw Seraphina at the noodle shop, it was like an odd flashback. He had seen this girl before… He knew it. He just couldn't pin point from where. It was when Zenko Sensei had instructed them to share things about themselves that it finally came to him.

As they sat watching Seraphina turn a dark shade of red and try to force out words that did not want to come, he suddenly saw a young girl who had been painfully shy, but kind. He thought back to his days at the academy and the image of a little girl with two long brown braids on either side of her head and glasses almost too big. That was all he had remembered then, and it wasn't until she had continued talking about herself at the fire, mentioning her siblings that the memory had completely come back to him…

 _He had seen this girl catch a moth that had gotten trapped indoors and very carefully set it free outside, despite it making her late to class, and getting her in trouble. He had also noticed her pick up stray trash to put into waste bins, and watched as she tugged a 'kick me' sign from the back of some kid who had been picking on her. She was quick and said nothing as she discarded the paper and continued on her way. Later Mialo saw that same kid pointing and laughing at her with a group of his friends as she passed by on her walk home. He learned her name was Seraphina._

 _It had been obvious she struggled with school work, as she was often called to the teacher's desk, and sent off to receive further instruction which didn't seem to help. He never heard her say much more then frequent apologies, causing him to wonder about who she was._

 _One day after school let out he planned to follow her to see if he could learn more about quiet Seraphina. He decided he could use this as training for when he became a genin. When the teacher dismissed class for the day, Mialo went about his mission._

 _Watching her from the corner of his eye he saw her take up her beat up bag and head out of the school. Hiding behind buildings, he watched as she stopped at a market stand to buy a bag full of groceries and then with her heavy burden, went on her way. Although he could see her breathing a bit labored from the weight of her bag, he noticed her make a point to smile at anyone who looked at her and even stopped to pick a dandelion on the side of the road. When a cat ran across her path he noticed her eyes light up and follow the furry gray critter until it was out of sight. With a slight droop of her shoulders she carried on her way._

 _When they finally made it to a small and very plain house on the outskirts of the village, he had to carefully sneak to a window to peer in after she disappeared inside. Looking in the window he saw the space he was peeking into was pretty sparse, other than a large man who appeared to be drinking sake, a cigarette sitting in a tray close by. He had a newspaper out and was talking to himself it seemed._

 _Was this Seraphina's Father? All of a sudden a scrawny woman with messy blond hair in a short ponytail came stomping in with a scowl on her face. Her arms were crossed in anger and a lit cigarette was placed between her two fingers, smoke curling in the air._

 _"Every night you sit there and drink! You wonder why we don't have money for rent when he comes!" She shouted and glared venomously at him._

 _"At least I'm not out screwing everyone in town, why don't you just sleep with him for this month's rent?" He bellowed back and after grinding his cigarette out, shoved the table forward a bit as he got to his feet and stomped from the room. The woman who must have been Seraphina's Mother gave a murderous glare and shortly after followed._

 _The front door slid open with a loud thunk and Mialo had to duck into the bushes to avoid being seen. When he peeked out he saw it was Seraphina's Father. After scattering shoes across the porch he mashed feet into the correct sandals and stomped down the steps, headed for what Mialo guessed was a bar in town. Suddenly a boy a little younger then himself and an even younger girl came running out of the house calling to the man._

 _"Daddy you said we were going to play with us today! Please don't weave again!" The little girl cried out, her little hands fisted at her sides as tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. Mialo noticed the dandelion Seraphina had picked was tucked behind her ear._

 _"We'll play tomorrow." The man said losing some of his anger when he looked at the children, but continuing to walk away._

 _"You said that yesterday!" The boy yelled with his hands fisted as well, and glaring with a sad frown._

 _Their Father said nothing this time as he kept walking._

 _"Get in this house or I swear I'll beat all of you bloody!" Mialo heard the woman scream, but did not see her._

 _"Not until Daddy comes back!" The little girl yelled as tears now streamed down her face._

 _"Yeah!" The boy agreed standing his ground._

 _There was a flash of movement as Seraphina appeared from the door jumping past the scattered shoes, and hurdling all of the steps to land quickly on the ground and run to her siblings._

 _"Mazoki, Coucine, what are you doing? We have to go back inside." She said taking their hands and trying to guide them to the house._

 _"No!" The little girl cried pulling her hand from Seraphina._

 _"Daddy said he was gunna play with us today and he leaved again! Why won't he play with us?" She pouted._

 _Seraphina looked over her shoulder towards the door with alarm and when it appeared no one was coming, she bent down to the little girl._

 _"Shh, it's okay Coucine. I'll play with you guys. But first we have to go inside, and no more yelling. You know how Mom hates for us to yell." Seraphina wiped the tears from her little sister's face and took the girls hand once more._

 _"Can we play ninja?" The boy asked looking to her with sad eyes._

 _"Of course Mazoki," She said with a smile._

 _"You know, I'm going to be a genin soon, I need you guys to help me practice." She said in quite voice as she smiled at the two and Mialo thought it almost looked Motherly._

 _"I'll be a genin too one day!" Mazoki beamed proudly smiling up at his sister._

 _"And then we can see who the better ninja is." Seraphina replied in a hushed voice with a more sibling like smirk._

 _"I bet it's you Seraphina! Mazoki stinks!" Coucine giggled, the tears gone._

 _"I do not! I've been practicing! I'll show you right now!" He said clenching his little fists._

 _"Shh," Seraphina said._

 _"Not now, I made dinner so let's eat first. After that, we can play." She promised and started leading them to the house once more._

 _"Yay!" Coucine whispered like her older sister._

 _"I'm gonna show you the new thing I learned." Mazoki said looking up to his sister also talking quietly now, and began explaining it in great detail._

 _Seraphina nodded her head and smiled down at them ushering them into the house._

 _"I'll be right in guys, go to the kitchen." She said fixing the shoes that sat outside the door._

 _As they disappeared into the house, Seraphina straightened, carefully slid the door closed, and looked right at the bush Mialo was hiding in._

 _"Why did you follow me home Mialo?" She asked directing the question at him, but still in her hushed voice._

 _His eyes widened when he realized she'd know he was there the whole time and even more at the fact she knew his name. Knowing his cover was blown he stood up from his crouch._

 _"How did you know I was here?" He asked. This was the first time he'd actually spoken to the quiet girl._

 _"I saw you when I was getting groceries in town. You can't be here, you need to go." She said coming down the stairs after glimpsing at the door once more._

 _So she saw him from the very beginning? He'd thought he'd done a good job hiding too…_

 _"I just wanted to learn more about you." Mialo said stepping out of the bush and approaching her. This seemed to surprise her. She made a face of confusion and looked at him without saying anything._

 _"You seem to be really close to your siblings." He said clasping his hands behind his back and watching her with interest._

 _"Do you always look out for them?" He asked cocking his head to the side._

 _Glancing up at the door again before answering, she nodded._

 _"Someone has to." She replied in an even tone._

 _"Where did your Dad go?" Mialo asked trying to get her to talk._

 _"I don't know, he's drunk. Probably the bar."_

 _She glimpsed in the direction he'd gone and then looked to Mialo once more._

 _"My Mother will be furious if she finds me out here, you have to go now." She said looking apologetic, but glanced back up to the door again with an anxious habit._

 _"Oh… Okay." Mialo said a little sad and began to turn._

 _"No wait-." Seraphina said grabbing his wrist causing him to turn back to her._

 _"I'm sorry, it's just that-." She didn't finish her sentence as the door crashed open and her Mother stalked out onto the porch._

 _Turning with panic in her eyes Seraphina shoved Mialo hard making him tumble back into the bush he'd been hiding in with a yelp._

 _"Where are you Seraphina?" The woman's voice yelled out in anger._

 _"I- I'm right here." She said quickly making her appearance known to her mother._

 _"Didn't I say you were going to get it if you didn't get in this house?" She demanded furiously._

 _"And who were you talking to? I told you I didn't want any visitors until this house was scrubbed spotless!"_

 _Mialo made sure to be a quiet as he could as he righted himself in the bush and peeked out once more._

 _Seraphina was standing in front of the woman with nervous fidgeting fingers and staring down at the ground._

 _"N-No one, I was-" The woman's hand lashed out backhanding Seraphina and knocking her to the ground._

 _"Didn't I tell you to look at me when you talk? You never listen! Get up, who were you talking to?" Her mother demanded throwing her cigarette to the ground._

 _"I'm sorry." Seraphina said getting to her feet holding back tears._

 _"I was talking to myself, I'm sorry." She said forcing herself to look up as she spoke._

 _"Talking to yourself? Keep it up and you'll end up a loser like your Father." Her mother spit._

 _"Now get in the house, I'm not telling you again." She growled and stomped back inside._

 _Rubbing her face Seraphina glanced over to the bush she knew Mialo was in, without daring to say anything._

 _"Seraphina!" Her mother screeched._

 _"I'm coming!" Seraphina squeaked running up the steps, and with once last glance in his direction shut the door behind her._

 _Mialo found himself staring at the closed door she'd gone through. Heat was swelling in his stomach at the display he's just seen. How could someone hit their child like that? Much less Seraphina! Guilt washed over him suddenly._

 _"That's why she said I needed to leave." Mialo whispered to himself._

 _He'd gotten her into trouble… Why hadn't he left when she first told him to?_

 _Crawling out of the bush he noticed a small scratch that was bleeding on his arm and winced. Seraphina was certainly stronger then he would have thought. He had been very taken off guard by the strength of her shove._

 _Quietly making his way across the yard, Mialo ducked under the wooden fence and put his hands in his pockets as he started walking down the road. Looking back he could have sworn he'd seen a face in the window looking after him, but it quickly vanished._

 _The next day Mialo was anxious to see the girl again. Part of him was unsure she would even come, and found himself wanting to see that she was okay._

 _Despite his worries, Seraphina arrived to school same as always, eyes glued to the floor and going unnoticed. He felt a twist of guilt when he noticed a slight bruise and a cut on the right side of her face. It wasn't even as if the teacher would question it, they were in school to become ninja. Multiple kids had cuts and scrapes, it was nothing unusual._

 _Mialo wanted to talk to her, but before he could work up the courage, the bell rang for class to begin._

 _By lunch he was ready to approach her. Getting the box that contained the meal his Mother had packed for him, Mialo joined his peers as they made their way outside to enjoy the sunshine. As he walked he looked around trying to find Seraphina, but didn't see her amongst the rest of his classmates. Where had she gone? Although his stomach was growling Mialo knew he wouldn't enjoy his lunch if he didn't get the chance to speak to the quiet girl, and so went about trying to find her._

 _He'd checked a few places when he rounded the corner to find three boys gathered not too far from someone sitting on a bench by themself, and saw it was just the person he was looking for. As he got closer he could hear the conversation the boys were having._

 _"Do it man, you lost so you have to do it!" One boy said shoving the other in the girl's direction._

 _"Aw you cheated!" The kid said pushing back._

 _"No way! You lost fair and square!" The third boy chuckled also shoving the kid toward Seraphina who looked as though she were trying to pretend they weren't there._

 _"Go on do it!" The two shouted giggling._

 _"Alright fine! Stop pushing me!" The boy said smacking his friend's hands away and shoving his own deep in his pockets before walking toward Seraphina._

 _Approaching the remaining two boys, Mialo narrowed his eyes._

 _"What are you guys doing?" He asked stopping next to them._

 _Both boys chuckled without turning away from the scene in front of them._

 _"We had a bet and whoever lost had to ask out that weird girl from our class." The first said snickering._

 _"Yeah, Torjo lost so he has to ask her! Oh my gosh, what if she says yes? Then he's gonna be stuck with that weirdo!" He said hardly able to contain his laughter._

 _"That's mean." Mialo said as his brows dipped in anger._

 _"No, it's funny." The one boy said turning to shoot an annoyed look at him._

 _"No, it's not. What if she thinks he honestly likes her, but he just lost a bet?" Mialo asked trying to change their minds._

 _"That would be even funnier!" The other boy laughed._

 _"Shh! Look!" The boy said and before Mialo could say anything else, got shoved back._

 _"Go away if you don't want to watch." The boy growled and turned back around._

 _Regaining his balance Mialo watched as Torjo stopped in front of Seraphina. She looked over to him with apprehension in her eyes and said nothing._

 _"Hey." The boy said avoiding looking at her._

 _"Um, hello." Seraphina said reluctantly._

 _The two in front of Mialo snickered as their friend continued, making Mialo's frown deepen._

 _"Do you wanna go out with me?" The boy said with a scrunched up face that was turning red._

 _"G-Go out with you?!" Seraphina said with wide eyes as her face flushed crimson._

 _"What's the matter, you don't you like me?" Torjo said, apparently deciding to have fun with her now._

 _"I- I guess I'll have to think about it." The poor girl said looking at the ground nervously._

 _Did she actually think that jerk liked her? It was horribly obvious he had no such intentions to have a relationship with her._

 _"Hey." Mialo said ignoring the protests of the other boys and walked right up to the bench._

 _Seraphina gave him a look of surprise. She flushed further at seeing him, making his own face redden a little, though he didn't know why. The boy named Torjo gave him a glare not wanting the interference._

 _"What do you want?" The boy demanded crossing his arms._

 _"These guys are just messing with you Seraphina, you don't honestly believe them do you?" He asked glaring back at Torjo._

 _"Messing with me?" She said as a look of confusion and then sadness came over her._

 _"Oh… you were only poking fun… Of course, you were only teasing me..." She said quietly and then got to her feet hastily._

 _After swiping a stray tear from cheek, Seraphina turned jumping over the bench and ran into the woods behind them._

 _"Seraphina!" Mialo said looking after her with a worried expression._

 _"Why did you ruin our prank?" Torjo demanded turning on Mialo angrily._

 _"Yeah!" Said the other boys walking over._

 _"Because what you guys did wasn't right, can't you see you hurt her feelings?" He retorted glaring at the three._

 _"What does it matter? She's a freak!" One of the boys said._

 _"Yeah!" Agreed Torjo._

 _"She wasn't even eating a lunch or anything, she was just sitting there staring at nothing!" He said as though this somehow proved a point._

 _"You three are hopeless." Mialo said shaking his head and jumping over the bench as Seraphina had._

 _As he ran into the woods he could hear the other boys still yelling at him. He didn't care what they had to say, he was wondering where the quiet girl had gone. He'd never got the chance to talk to her and now she was nowhere to be seen once again._

 _Mialo ran through the woods for a short while before finally catching a glimpse of brown hair. Stopping abruptly he caught himself before he fell and then trying not to startle her, he approached quietly. Seraphina was sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs and alongside a stream, not seeming as though she wanted company. As he got closer, he debated what he should say._

 _"You followed me again." She said in a quiet emotionless voice._

 _"I- Uh… Yeah, I guess I did." Mialo said realizing how lame he sounded._

 _He waited for her to say something more, but when nothing happened he decided to make a move._

 _"Do you mind if I talk to you for a second?" He asked coming to sit beside her, but being careful to give her personal space._

 _"You want to talk to_ me _? Or is it about my older sister Ayeba? Because if it is, I already told 3 other guys, you have to ask her out yourself." Seraphina said looking away, but he caught her look of distant sadness._

 _"Ayeba? I don't think I know her, although I'm sure she's nice." Mialo replied._

 _"Yes, she's very nice to most people she doesn't live with… particularly males…" Seraphina muttered to herself._

 _"You seem to resent her a little." Mialo said unable to help himself._

 _This startled Seraphina._

 _"Oh! I can't believe how I was just talking… please forgive me." She said dipping her brows in guilt and bowing her head to him._

 _"That's right, you said you wanted to talk to me. If it's not about Ayeba then please, go on." Seraphina composed herself with a dutiful expression._

 _"Um, okay." Mialo said a little unsure._

 _"Well the reason I wanted it talk to you is-"_

 _Seraphina suddenly interrupted him with a worried expression._

 _"Did I do that?!"_

 _Stopping short Mialo glanced at where she was staring, and realized she was looking at his arm where a small bandage was wrapped._

 _"Oh, uh you did give me a pretty good shove yesterday… But I kind of deserved to be pushed into a bush after following you home, so it's okay." He said sheepishly and scratching the back of his head._

 _"It's not okay, I'm really sorry…" Seraphina said and looked down at the ground with sadness._

 _Up close Mialo could better see the bruise under the scratch on her face and guilt made a tight knot in his stomach._

 _"If anyone should be apologizing, it's me. I should have left the first time you told me to, your mom wouldn't have hit you if I had…" Mialo said unwillingly looking up at her from under his eyelashes._

 _Seraphina's expression was puzzled for a moment and then her hand went to her cheek as her eyes momentarily widened in understanding. It only lasted a second before she masked it and seemed without emotion once more._

 _"Don't apologize, She would have found some other reason to hit me. It's always like that when she's angry." Seraphina said watching the stream again._

 _"I actually prefer that to the yelling though. Sometimes the things she says echoes in my head like they can't escape. At least if she hits me, the pain stops eventually. It's a wound of the flesh, not the heart."_

 _She paused for a moment and then gave him a pained smile._

 _"She doesn't mean to be like that, things have been stressful lately."_

 _Seraphina held the false smile and somehow this did not make Mialo feel any better. In fact he felt worse. He decided to change the topic for now._

 _"Are you going to eat? We don't have much time before lunch is over." Mialo asked checking the suns location in the sky._

 _"I- didn't bring a lunch… I just wanted to get out of the house this morning, so I didn't bother. That's okay though, I'm really not that hungry." She said and gave him a smile._

 _"Not hungry?" He asked unconvinced._

 _"Well we have sparring today, you should eat something. Here." Mialo said opening his own lunch and setting it between the two._

 _"I can share mine, my Mom always packs me too much anyway." He said and smiled at Seraphina._

 _She looked at him surprised and then down at the ground sadly._

 _"Why are you being nice to me?" She asked and then looked up at him for his answer._

 _"Hmm." Mialo said as he pondered her question_

 _He looked up at the clouds in the sky as he thought._

 _"I don't know, good intentions?" Mialo said and then looked over at her._

 _"I believe you're a kind person, so shouldn't someone be kind to you?" He replied._

Mialo came back from his thoughts and smiled bitterly. This scene was pretty similar to that one so long ago, except he was no longer a child getting caught. He was far better at concealing his presence, he had to be in order to become a chunin. He wondered if that would even matter anymore. The little girl he remembered from his days at the academy had always been on guard, he'd never once succeeded in sneaking up on her. He had followed this current Seraphina more than once now, and without being caught- or at least she hadn't shown any signs as such. She seemed to be deeply distracted sometimes, like her entire awareness had momentarily stepped out. This made him wonder what she was thinking about.

As he sat watching Seraphina from a distance, he saw her retrieve something from her pocket. He noticed immediately that it was the photograph he had found in her bag earlier depicting four people.

It showed this current Seraphina with a pained and uncomfortable smile as a girl who looked to be a little older, kept her from slipping away. The girl who was holding onto her must have been Ayeba and she was smirking with obvious triumph as she stared directly into the camera posing. Also crammed into the picture was a boy looking to be Seraphina's age and a girl who appeared to be the youngest. The boy looked similar to Seraphina, one brow dipped, the other raised in an uncomfortable expression, clearly looking as though he wanted to extract himself. The youngest on the other hand, had a dazzling smile as though she were amused by the whole situation.

Seraphina looked slightly different from her siblings, but it was very obvious they were all related. He realized now that he had met two of the other people in the picture. Okay so not so much met, as saw from a distance. The brother and the youngest, though they were by far older in this picture then what he remembered.

He'd noticed something interesting while looking at the picture. Seraphina and her elder sister both wore the headband of konohagakure with a slash through it, while the younger sibling's headbands depicted the image of a music note, that of the sound village to be precise. The younger two must have become ninja after leaving the village, though he wasn't familiar with much info concerning its covert people.

Tucking the photo back into her pocket, Seraphina scrubbed her face with her arm hastily and grabbing a plate, began cleaning the dishes from their meal. After debating with himself for a moment, Mialo decided to finally approach her.

"Need a hand?" He asked stepping out of the brush and Seraphina turned in an instant.

She dropped the plate to the grass as her hands glowed blue with electricity. The look on her face was alarmed, but ready for a fight.

"Oh, it's you." She said exasperated, and the electricity disappeared as she dropped her hands.

"I thought you were-"

"Orochimaru?" Mialo asked sticking his hands into his pockets and walking over.

She turned to pick up the dish she dropped.

"An enemy." She stated flatly.

Neither of them said anything for a moment so Mialo picked up one of the plastic plates and helped her finish. When everything was clean they brushed the dirt from their pants and stood to head back to the campsite.

"Did Zenko Sensei send you?" Seraphina inquired simply in a soft voice.

"Yeah."

He turned his head just slightly to her as they walked.

"You left so suddenly he wanted to be sure you were unharmed. You should be more careful to remain aware, I could have slit your throat before you noticed a thing." He said being truthful.

The statement was harsh, but so was being a ninja. They were on a mission; you couldn't let your emotions cloud the task at hand. That's how people ended up dead.

"You could try." She said but then looked away. Her tone turned serious and she looked forward to stare straight ahead once more.

"You're right, I'll refocus."

...

After Mialo and I returned to the camp site, Zenko Sensei beckoned us over to the fire that was now burning low.

"It's late so we'll need to get some rest. We will be up bright and early tomorrow and as soon as they have that cave cleared, we'll be on our way." He said looking around the fire at us.

"I don't mind taking the first watch." I said speaking up.

Truthfully I didn't want to sleep at all now. With the thoughts of my siblings running rampant through my head, I knew my dreams would be of them. If I could stay up a little longer maybe, just enough to perhaps distract my mind…

"You were falling asleep while we ate Seraphina, the whole point of watch is to be aware." He said in a mildly with a slight smile.

"I'm really not that tired-" I attempted, but he put his hand up.

"I've already determined the watch schedule. There are still some things I need to go over for the mission, so I'll take first watch. Next will be Tiberius, Mialo, and then Seraphina." He announced.

I held back a groan, so much for distracting myself.

"We still have a little ways to go before we reach the bandits territory, but remain on guard at all times. We don't know if they've caught wind that help has been sent, but if they have, they may try to find us first."

Putting aside my little dilemma I nodded like Mialo and Tiberius.

"Alright then kiddo's, get to bed." He said with a smirk and chuckled.

"Do you have to talk like we're children?" Tiberius said standing up and going to retrieve his bedroll.

"He has a point." Mialo muttered with an expression that almost looked embarrassed.

Zenko Sensei just laughed and then turned his attention to a couple scrolls and a sheet of paper before him, beginning to read.

Getting up, I did as the other two were and set up my sleeping arrangements next to the fire. Zenko Sensei was to my left and Tiberius to my right, while Mialo was directly across the fire.

After a mental groan I laid down beneath my covers and looked up at the night sky. Reaching over I took my glasses and set them next to my pack. It had become a cloudy night, and the only stars I could see seemed tiny and very far away. The moon was concealed behind the clouds, but I could see a ring of light where it hid. Just then the image of my brother came to me. Thoughts of all the times we'd sat together at night during missions, attempting to name constellations, flooded my brain and took my breath away. I grimaced closing my eyes. Ouch, the pain in my chest sharpened as I fought to empty my mind of every thought. I focused on the feeling of air entering and leaaving my lungs and without even being aware of it, drifted into unconsciousness.

 ** _The air was damp and chilly around me as I stood amongst the trees, straining to hear any sign of my stalker in the shadows. I held my kunai in my hand so tight that it was beginning to ache, but didn't dare loosen my grip. He was here… I could feel it in my bones- no, in my whole_** **being** ** _._**

 ** _Orochimaru's presence had nearly become a tangible thing, except for the fact he was nowhere to be seen. The fear that consumed me made every nerve in my body buzz with the anticipation of pain. There wasn't a hair on my body not standing up._**

 ** _I took a cautious step forward and nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a branch break loudly behind me._**

 ** _Spinning around with wide eyes I struggled to make myself see more then I could. This damned foggy swamp! The smell of stinking black mud hung in the air like the mist that floated around me, making it hard to draw in every breath._**

 ** _I silently begged the trembling in my hands to stop. I needed to be steady for when I got the chance to attack… That is, if he didn't kill me first._**

 ** _A noise. I could hear a low humming sound… or was it a rumble? No… It was a laugh, and it was getting louder._**

 ** _"Ha ha ha haah. Ha ha hah."_**

 ** _I spun in a frantic circle brandishing my kunai, unable to pinpoint which direction the sound was coming from._**

 ** _"Ha ha haaah."_**

 ** _The laugh stopped, leaving behind the silence once more. My lips were frozen in a tense line preventing me from saying anything._**

 ** _"Seraphina, look how pathetic you are." His voice lulled to me from my right._**

 ** _I turned and pointed my weapon toward the sound._**

 ** _"You don't even know where I am."_**

 ** _The words slithered to me as he continued chuckling to himself. This time his voice was on my left._**

 ** _I turned and repositioned my kunai._**

 ** _"You couldn't save your siblings and now you can't save yourself." He drawled on from yet another direction._**

 ** _I turned to follow it._**

 ** _"How pathetic." He whispered and a breath at my ear stirred my hair._**

 ** _I shrieked stabbing my kunai into the empty air behind me, and took off into the swamp as fast as I could. I sprinted with everything I had in me, stumbling over wild roots twisting in the ground, and smashing sticks out of my way._**

 ** _"Ha ha haaah. Ha ha haaah!" His laughter carried to my ears only making my poor heart hammer even harder._**

 ** _"Leave me alone!" I was finally able to shriek._**

 ** _"Leave me alone, leave me alone, LEAVE ME ALONE!" I almost sobbed, but continued to frantically flee._**

 ** _"I don't belong to HER, and I don't belong to YOU! Leave me alone!" I cried as a branch scratched across my face making me flinch, but nowhere near enough to stop me._**

 ** _"You're wrong. You do belong to me." His tone changed lacking the humor._**

 ** _All of a sudden the ground in from of me exploded sending me crashing backward as a giant purple snake appeared with Orochimaru standing unwavering atop it._**

 ** _"Thank you Manda, you may leave." Orochimaru said in his silky voice, and with a hiss the enormous snake vanished in a white cloud._**

 ** _I wanted to flee once more, but I could only scrabble back as my body moved in slow motion, preventing me from an escape. I watched in horror as Orochimaru emerged from the cloud and began approaching me with a terrifying grace to his lethargic stride._**

 ** _"Detain her." He commanded pointing an open palm toward me, as snakes began slithering from his sleeve and down his arm to quickly entangle themselves around my hands and ankles._**

 ** _I yelled in disgust as I failed to free myself. I continued to fight until he came over to me and kicked me in the stomach hard, making me lose my breath. I curled in on myself struggling to keep hold of my panic._**

 ** _"Do you know what I do to the things that belong to me and don't obey?" His sickly sweet voice floated down to my ears, and I trembled as he crouched down next to me._**

 ** _"What's that? You're not even going to attempt a guess for my amusement? A pity really." He said and then chuckled to himself._**

 ** _"Please…" I begged in a whisper. I was trying desperately to keep it from a sob._**

 ** _"Leave me alone, I just want a normal life. That's all I want, I just want to be normal…" I said feeling tears slide down the bridge of my nose._**

 ** _"Normal? Hah! Don't you realize that for you, this is normal? You don't want normal, you want someone else's life." He spat._**

 ** _"Unfortunately for you, you're stuck with this pointless pathetic one." He gazed down his nose at me, using a voice that almost seemed to imply pity._**

 ** _"I would have gladly ended you're suffering before all this began, I would have even made it quick and painless… But now… Now I'll enjoy cutting the flesh from your body as you scream."_**

 ** _The words made me stiffened the moment they met my ears, and I immediately began to struggle._**

 ** _"Ha ha haaah." He said tilting his head back to let out his laugh, and then reached into a fold in his clothing and pulled out a kunai._**

 ** _"I'd cover your mouth, but I think your screams will make this more dramatic." The snake like slits in his eyes only deepened the piercing effect they had on me._**

 ** _"Now, where shall we start hmm?"_**

 ** _I felt the edge of a blade begin to cut into my flesh and I let out an agonized scream. The sounds of my tormented were the only things I could hear as Orochimaru made sure to fulfill his promise._**

"Seraphina. Hey, Seraphina. Wake up would you?"

I sat up abruptly and thrust the kunai I kept close, at my attacker.

*Clink!*

The sound of metal on metal sharpened my awareness as my eyes tried to focus. My heart was hammering in my chest, my body trembling.

"Easy." Mialo said while keeping a steady pressure against my blade with his own.

He was kneeling next to me holding the kunai he'd used to deflect mine, and although he was calm as always, he had a brow dipped as he watched me.

"Er-" I managed and after a moment I lowered my kunai. I turned my head forward staring unfocused at nothing in particular.

The trembling in my hands wouldn't stop, even when I focused and tried to steady them. My back was soaked with sweat, the hair on the nape of my neck sticking to my skin despite the chill of the night. I closed my eyes momentarily and immediately opened them again with a flinch, as the vivid image of my dream reappeared.

"Bad dream?" Mialo asked quietly, most likely not wanting to wake the other two, and sheathed his weapon.

My heart was still beating so hard it hurt, so instead of talking I just nodded my head maintaining my unfocused stare.

"About your siblings?" He asked and I found myself too exhausted to lie.

"No…" I said and shook my head slowly.

"No?" He questioned and I still did not lift my gaze to meet his, but looked down at my hands folded in my lap, one still gripping my kunai.

I couldn't pull myself from my dream this time. Orochimaru had been deep into his task before Mialo had woken me. Most nights I could tear my eyes open in the middle of a particularly nasty dream, but this time had been different. Was it because I was just so exhausted my body couldn't manage it? As embarrassing as it was, I was so grateful he had made the effort to wake me.

Clenching my hands tight I let out a shaky breath and then ran a hand over my head to smooth my hair. I couldn't bring myself to thank him, so I decided to answer his questions instead. I knew he would have some, he always did.

I tucked my weapon away once more and pulled my knees under me.

"Did you wake me for my watch?" I asked turning my head just slightly to glance at him.

"Actually, your watch isn't for another hour. You were groaning and cringing in your sleep… So I woke you."

He said nothing else as he regarded me mildly.

"Oh." I said and turned away.

I didn't know what else to say.

"You can go back to sleep. " Mialo said standing and turned to go back to his place by the fire.

There was no way that was happening, but I didn't bother saying that. Turning, I grabbed my shoes and my glasses before pulling on a long sleeve shirt to block the cool night breeze. I stood and went to join Mialo who was adding a bit of wood to our little fire. He glanced over at me as I approached and I could see the curiosity in his eyes, but he remained quiet.

The trembling in my hands had lessened, but there was still a slight shake to them. Taking a shallow breath, I sat down near where Mialo had been for his watch. He looked down at me.

"Not going back to sleep?"

"No." I said and crossed my arms both to keep me warm and to hide the trembling.

"Hm." Was all he said, and then he turned his attention back to adjusting the wood in the fire.

When he was satisfied with the flames, he glanced over at me again before coming to sit down where he'd been before waking me.

We sat in silence for a moment until I looked over at him expectantly. He gave me a puzzled look and raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked when I didn't say anything.

"Because, I know you have questions you want to ask. I'm waiting for them." I said giving him a level look.

"Er-" He said seeming surprised and then scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, but you don't seem to like my questions. I was attempting to keep them to myself this time." He said and turned his head, but glimpsed at me from the corner of his eye.

"Go ahead." I said and waited.

He was quite a few seconds longer, and then turned slightly to look at me.

"What were you dreaming of?" He asked, getting straight to the point.

I groaned internally, but I had made a deal with myself to answer.

"Nothing pleasant." I said and then looked into my lap as I decided where to start.

"I- was in some swamp and Orochimaru was hunting me down. When he caught me, He tied me up with his snakes… then skinned me alive." I cringed slightly, still seeing the images crystal clear in my head.

I looked up to see if he had another question and his lips were pulled into a frown.

"You're right, that is unpleasant." He said and looked into the fire.

"Do you think that's what he'd do to you if he found you?"

Another topic I'd rather not discuss…

"I don't know what he'd do to me. Whatever it is, I'm sure it wouldn't be anything less than torture. My hope is to never find out." I replied.

"So, why then?" He asked firing another question at me.

"Why don't I want to find out? I figured the whole skinning me alive dream would answer that." I retorted arching an eyebrow.

"No," He said shaking his head and turning to me once more.

"I meant if you believe Orochimaru would torture you for leaving, then why leave? Wouldn't it just be easier to stay with him instead of coming back to the Leaf Village, where no one trusts or accepts you?"

I stiffened slightly at the last part.

"I'm just trying to understand. If your siblings have always been everything to you, why leave them? Why risk it all just to come back to a place where they could have killed you on the spot? I don't see what you could have gained."

The hesitation was gone this time and he gave me a steady stare while awaiting my answer. His brows were drawn together as he tried to read the expressions on my face.

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"You guys just don't get it." I said and turned my attention to the stars in the night sky.

Some of the clouds had dispersed and although they still seemed as though they were particularly far away, I could see more of them.

"I told you the answer to this before. I _hated_ being there. Hated what they were turning me and my siblings into. Some of the things I saw that man do… And my Mother doing his bidding willingly… I never wanted to serve either of them. So yeah I'm alone, and yeah most of the people in the Leaf Village aren't too thrilled I'm there… but I couldn't do the things they wanted me to anymore. To you it doesn't make sense, it doesn't look like there was something to gain, but my reality is different than what you guys can see. My life might be at risk now, I may be shunned, but I _have_ a life now. I was an expendable tool to them. I was nothing. When I left, it had been the first choice that was mine, not theirs. They will not control me anymore. I'm free."

I let my words sink in for a moment and then I picked my head up so I could look over at him with a smile. He was still staring at me with that puzzled look. I began to think maybe I'd actually stumped him into silence this time.

"Out of questions?" I asked still smiling at him.

He stared for at me for a second longer before closing his eyes and then smirking. When he looked back up at me there was amusement in his eyes.

"Ha. I never run out of questions."

I chuckled in response.

"So I've noticed." I said and deciding I'd told him enough, changed the subject.

"Enough questioning me, let's interrogate you. Do you have both your parents? Any siblings?" I asked nonchalantly.

"I'm hardly interesting." He scoffed but proceeded anyway.

"Yeah, I'm one of the lucky ones. I still have both of my annoying parents and I'm an only child, so they have plenty of time to dote on me. They're great people." He said simply and looked into the fire.

"Are your parents ninja as well?" I asked.

I was truly very interested in normal family behavior. Although I wasn't going to tell him, I had so many questions about what it was like to live a normal life. I knew I could out question him without even trying.

"Yes, although my Mother is always fretting about leaving me home to take care of myself whenever they're both away on a mission. She doesn't seem to believe I know how to feed myself, or even bathe if one of them isn't there." He looked a bit annoyed, but shook his head with a calm smile.

"If she doesn't even think she can leave you at home, then how does she cope when you go on missions? She can't feed you then either." I chuckled.

"Sure she can." He replied and reached for something next to him and then turned setting it between us. I looked down to see skewered little colorful balls in a travel food container.

"Dango?" I asked with an amused expression.

"Yeah." He said and picking a stick up, ate one of the round little blobs.

"My Mom made them, try one."

Maintaining my look of amusement, I did as he instructed and after choosing a stick from the container, ate the green blob at the dough was soft and made sweet by the sticky sauce coating it. They were pretty good.

"I guess you did say you like sweet dumplings huh? These are good."

I enjoyed the pink blob next.

"I did. My Mom knows they're my favorite so she makes them before almost every mission. At first I told her not to worry about it because I didn't have much room in my pack anyway… but she always insists. Eventually she stopped trying to convince me and just snuck it in with the rest of my stuff every time. She doesn't take no for an answer." He was looking up at the sky now with mellow smile.

"That's funny." I said smiling and for a second I got a strong sense of déjà vu.

Looking down to the container of food between us, I struggled to guess why this seemed as though it were somehow familiar. Sharing food his Mother had made, between the two of us… Why in the world would that feel familiar?

"Something wrong?" Mialo asked in that unconcerned voice of his.

Breaking my concentration I shook my head slightly and decided to change the subject, giving up on my déjà vu.

"Nothing more than usual. So, what about your Dad? What's he like?"

After a couple humorous stories about Mialo's family being over protective and questioning his ability to function, I had finally managed to calm down and the shaking in my hands had completely stopped. I looked up at the moon's position to check the time.

"It hasn't quite been an hour, but why don't you head back to bed? I'll wake you guys in a couple hours." I said glancing over at him.

Mialo put the lid back on his container stood up.

"Alright."

"Thanks for the dango by the way." I said tossing the stick into the fire.

"No problem, see you in the morning." Mialo replied before settling down on his bedroll and pulling the covers over him..


	10. Stamped In Blood

**Stamped in Blood**

It had only been an hour since Mialo had gone back to sleep, and I was perched on a low branch of a tree, close enough to remain in the light of the fire. I had spent many nights doing this with three different people. Three people who bore a resemblance to myself. It always tore at my conscience to be on a mission with the three of them. On one hand, I didn't want my siblings to be endangered by accompanying me on our Mother's or Orochimaru's cruel and heartless schemes. On the other hand, I felt as though they were safer when I could keep them in my sight.

At first I believed it was Ayeba's and my duty to protect our younger siblings. To shield them from having to participate in something that might get them killed. But as time went on, it became harder to keep Mazoki out of it. I eventually realized he and I made a much better team than Ayeba and myself anyway. As much as it made sense for the two oldest to lead the way, Ayeba and I disagreed on just about everything. Besides that, she had no desire to be a ninja. Her heart was elsewhere, longing for a stable life with an attractive man, and out of the line of fire. I finally had to admit to myself that pushing my elder sister to take more responsibility, just wasn't going to happen, and that the job to keep us all alive fell completely on my shoulders.

So as much as I hated the idea of letting Mazoki fight, I let Ayeba take more of a back seat role, and accepted my brother's advice and knowledge, all the time silently remaining a barrier between him and those we were against. He was truly a ninja at heart and could protect himself, but I wasn't going to take any chances. Before we had left the village, he'd spent long hours researching jutsu and techniques which led to him advancing quickly amongst Lord Orochimaru's henchmen. I asked him not to show others quite how capable he was, for fear it would catch the snake eyed man's attention. He reassured me he had already thought of this, and told me not to worry.

But worry I did, because that's who I am. I was meant to be an anxious mess all the time, or at least that's what I always seemed to feel like. Speaking of which, the thing I was worrying about right now was the fact that there were blank spots in my memory. When the Anbu had questioned me, it was the first time I'd actually noticed how much information I was missing . I knew I should probably just let it go, but it was not your average foggy on the details blank spots. It was like an empty feeling… or something like that. It was hard to explain, but horribly infuriating. I knew it was something Orochimaru had done to me, but when had he done it? Had he conveniently taken that memory too? What else had he made me forget? I clenched my fist tight in anger.

"Think, _think."_ I said to myself and closed my eyes in concentration.

I focused on the details of the missions Orochimaru had sent me on, and willed myself to remember.

"How long was he messing around in my head?" I groaned as I continued focusing.

Since I had the time, I continued my efforts while keeping my watch. I kept an ear open for the sounds around me as well, periodically scanning the perimeter in search of anything amiss.

Almost an hour later I had gotten nowhere and was feeling defeated and annoyed. Were the memories lost forever? What kind of intel was I harboring in my own head? How frustrating it was to know you could potentially hold the key to the destruction of one of the largest criminal sociopaths alive, but simply couldn't remember what it was.

"Ahh." I groaned and rubbing my temples, let out an impatient sigh. I glanced at the dim light beginning to appear on the horizon.

"I'll give it a few more minutes and then I'll wake the others."

'Here goes nothing.' I thought to myself and closed my eyes once more.

I had only been deep in thought for a brief moment before I felt something tickle my arm. Not wanting to interrupt my train of thought, I brushed my hand across it while keeping my eyes closed and returned to focusing. A couple seconds later I felt the tickle again, this time enough to make me open my eyes.

When I finally looked down to see what it was, my eyes shot open wide and I screamed frantically causing myself to lose balance. The giant black spider that had been sitting on me began to scamper up my arm, sending horrible chills from my toes to my scalp, and making me scream once more. Frantically flailing my arm and smacking it to get the spider off, I shrieked as I fell backward out of the tree I was in, hitting another branch, and then landing in a painful heap on the ground.

"What is it? What's going on Seraphina?" Zenko Sensei askied appearing with a kunai in grip.

I rolled into a sitting position and felt my face go beat red as I realized both Mialo and Tiberius had also woken and were standing ready for a fight. They looked half asleep still but wild eyed as they surveyed the area for a possible threat.

"Oh- uh… It's nothing." I said feeling stupid and scratching the back of my head in embarrassment.

"What do you mean it's nothing? You screamed and fell out of the tree didn't you?" Demanded Tiberius, still clenching his fists in anticipation of a fight.

"I- uh… Yeah I did. But there's no one but us here, were not being attacked…" I said avoiding eye contact.

"Well then why did you scream?" Asked Mialo confused and groggy.

"Well- there was… a really big spider on my arm." I mumbled and the three of them finally dropped their weapons.

"A _spider?_ You screamed like that because of a _spider_?" Tiberius asked in disbelief.

"It was a giant black spider okay? And it was crawling up my arm!" I defended myself as I got to my feet and plucked a few twigs and a leaf out of my hair.

They all stared at me for a moment before breaking out into laughter.

"You act so big and tough, but you're afraid of spiders?" Tiberius said shaking his head.

"Shut up!" I glared at them.

"The thing was huge! You wake up with one of those on your arm and try not to scream!"

I crossed my arms and turned my head defiantly.

"We'll have to introduce her to that Shino guy when we get back to the village, hunh Tiberius?" Mialo chuckled.

"Who's Shino?" I asked skeptical.

"Sounds fun." Tiberius smirked shaking his head and began heading back to the fire that had nearly burned out.

"That was indeed an exciting wakeup call Seraphina." Zenko sensei said rubbing sleep from his eyes, and then turned to join Tiberius.

"I guess that's one of the fastest ways to wake three people at once." Mialo added and also turned to get ready for the day."

"It was a big spider…" I mumbled to myself and reluctantly followed the others.

After brushing the rest of the twigs and dirt out of my hair, I braided it and put my headband on. Before putting everything in my pack, I debated rewrapping my arm, but decided it was fine since it hadn't bleed through. After about twenty minutes, everyone had eaten their share of rice balls, finished gathering their stuff, and put the fire out thoroughly.

"Alright, let's get going. Those poor families are probably worried sick about those who were taken. Hopefully they've managed to clear that tunnel." Zenko Sensei said and began to lead the way.

"How's that shoulder Seraphina?" He asked looking over at me.

"Oh uh, a bit stiff but otherwise fine. It's no longer out of place, so I'll live." I rolled it around for examining and finding a bit of discomfort ducked my head to hide a grimace.

It was weird having someone check on me. That was usually my role.

"You've got Mialo to thank for that." Tiberius said with a smirk.

"I could thank him for it being out of place too." I muttered.

"I owed you one for knocking me into the water. Also, if you'd dodged me, you wouldn't have had that problem." Mialo said smoothly.

"Well, it was two against one. I was getting a little tired."

"Yeah, but we only had that punishment because _you_ were late." Tiberius retorted.

He had me there. Before I could reply Mialo spoke up.

"Oh, speaking of which… I've been meaning to give this to you Seraphina." Before we had gotten far at all, he stopped to rifle around in his pack.

"Something to give _me?"_ I asked baffled and narrowed my eyes skeptically.

"Yes…" He said and finally retrieved the thing he was looking for.

Reaching out, he handed me the leather pouch containing my missing weapon. My eyes jumped open in surprise.

"My senbon needles!" I exclaimed as relief washed through me, and then washed right out again as suspicion rose in my gut. Had he taken these from my bag when he was snooping earlier? Had he only now decided I wasn't a threat, so he was giving them back?

"I scoured those stairs looking for them, this is why I was late. Where did you find them?"

"I found them yesterday after you- uh, told me to leave. I came across them as I was coming down the steps, I was going to give them to you sooner but… well we weren't exactly on friendly terms." He shrugged before returning his pack to his shoulders.

I thought for a moment and realized he had been pretty blunt about digging through my belongings before, so if he had taken them intentionally, he'd most likely just say so. Deciding to believe his explanation, I allowed myself to let go of my skepticism. I was too relieved to be irritated that he'd waited until just now to return them.

"Thank you." I said and after opening it to check the contents, then let out a happy sigh.

"These are special like you're nunchaku Tiberius."

As we began to walk again, I ran my thumb lightly over the delicate pattern of heather flowers that decorated it, admiring the beautiful handiwork. After thoroughly appreciating the fact that they had been returned, I tucked them securely away in my weapons pouch.

"My brother was the one who suggested I use them, he got me the leather pouch to put them in." I allowed his image to come to mind. Even now it brought with it a deep aching sadness.

v

The others were quiet as we approached the side of the mountain that once had a tunnel. As we got closer we began to see signs that something didn't appear quite right.

"Hmm… This already seems to be getting off to a bad start." Zenko Sensei said with dipped brows as we continued.

Although the entrance to the pre-existing tunnel was now cleared, there was a group of people gathered outside who appeared to be arguing and gesturing frantically.

"We can't stop now! That's what they want us to do!" Shouted a scrawny man with hair pulled back into a low pony tail.

"Exactly! We should listen to their demands before someone else goes missing!" A very short, round man, with squinted eyes replied.

"But what about Bonzo and Kutoa?" Said another angrily.

"Are we just going to forget about them?"

"Of course not. That's all the more reason to stop the project for now. We were told they would be returned if we ceased clearing the tunnel. I don't know about you, but I don't plan to be their next victim." The short man said crossing his arms and turning his head away.

"Who's to say they'll return them alive? Or at all for that matter?! They're bandits, is it so hard to believe they'd lie? Our only choice is to continue with the tunnel!" The scrawny man said raising a fist.

"Fine, do what you wish. But count me out. I have no intentions of getting myself killed over some path through the mountain." The short man announced before stalking away.

"Fine! We can still manage without you." The man with the ponytail turned to the other three that still stood with him.

"What do you say earth users, shall we continue through to the other side?" He looked out at them raising his fist once more.

I don't believe he got the response he was going for as the remaining shinobi looked to one another uncertainly.

"Maybe Riekon is right about waiting…" One of them muttered.

"What about the two that were taken? How will we get them back if we just sit here doing nothing?" The scrawny man flared frustrated. The lone woman of the group stepped forward then placing her hands on her hips in a firm gesture, but there was gentleness in her eyes.

"Look Min, we're just as concerned about their safe return as you are."

"Then why aren't we-" He began, but she put a hand up while giving a shake of her head to cut him off and continued.

" _But…_ we don't even know what they'll do to them if we continue. Those bandits are known for dumping a corpse at your doorstep when you go against their demands, Perhaps we should wait and see what happens."

The other two had weary looks on their faces but nodded their approval.

"Yeah."

"I agree."

The man named Min grunted and squeezed his fists tight, then clenched his eyes shut and turned his head from the rest of the group.

"Tch!"

The woman reached out to rest her hand on the man's shoulder as the other two began to walk away.

"What's going on here?" Asked Zenko Sensei as we stopped in front of the tunnel entrance.

The two remaining shinobi looked at our group with dread in their eyes.

"Sorry folks, the path through the tunnel is still blocked. It's uncertain when repairs might start again, so you might as well go back to where you came from for now." Said the woman with a grim expression.

"Unfortunately, that's not an option." Zenko Sensei said rubbing the scruff on his chin.

Min's ponytail whipped over his shoulder as his head snapped in our direction.

"Well make it an option! What concern of ours is it if you can't make it to the other side?!"

"Min-" The woman scolded, but he pushed her hand off his shoulder and stalked away.

She looked after him with sadness, but masked any emotion she was feeling when she turned back to us.

"I apologize for his outburst, but the fact remains. No one will be going through the tunnel any time soon." She didn't bother looking to anyone but our Sensei as she crossed her arms over her chest.

He didn't appear discouraged as he nodded his head sagely then placed a hand on his hip.

"If I might ask, how come the construction in the tunneled has halted? Were you saying some of your comrades have gone missing?"

"I'm not sure how much I should tell you… But yes. Last night while we were taking shifts to clear the path, we heard some screams from inside. When we went to investigate, Bonzo and Kutoa had vanished. We haven't seen them since…" She said looking vaguely toward the tunnel.

"And you mentioned you thought bandits were behind it?..." Zenko inquired.

"Look, it's not really your business." She said tucking the short hair that was falling into her face behind her ear.

"Actually it is. We have orders from the Lady Hokage of the Hidden Leaf to put a stop to a group of bandits that's been terrorizing the people in these parts. It's possible your comrades fell victim to that very group."

The woman's eyes widened at that.

"An order from the Leaf Village?" She asked skeptical and Zenko Sensei nodded.

"We can help you retrieve your friends, but we need to know all of the details from their disappearance."

The woman was quiet a moment as she thought, then nodded her head.

"I suppose we don't have many options… Very well. My name is Vina and yes, we're fairly certain it was bandits behind their disappearance. If you follow me I can show you where it took place. There's not much to go off, but if you think it will help…" She trailed.

"Sometimes the smallest clues are the biggest hint, please lead the way." He said dropping his hand from his hip and beckoning for us to follow.

The woman named Vina led us into the entrance of the tunnel and looked back at the three of us standing behind Zenko Sensei.

"I didn't catch your names." She said as her gaze lingered on me.

I looked away uncomfortably.

"My apologies, I'm Zenko Kemozo and these three are Mialo, Tiberius, and Seraphina." He gestured as we walked.

She arched a brow in our direction.

"Aren't they a little young to be on a hunt for a band of blood thirsty bandits?"

"Do you expect all shinobi to be as old as the two of you?" Tiberius questioned sounding bored and arching a brow back at her.

She made an annoyed noise in the back of her throat.

"Hey now." Zenko Sensei chuckled as the woman stiffened, clearly taking offense.

"Don't worry about them, they're plenty capable."

He gave the woman a smile as we continued to walk.

"If you say so… But if these are the same bandits who have been terrorizing everyone around here… you'd better watch yourselves. These people are heartless, they'll kill anyone they need to get what they want. Even the youngest of children haven't been exempt from their torture."

Her voice went soft at the end and she shook her head.

"That knowledge just makes catching them that much more important." Zenko's voice was even to match hers.

Entering the dim cavern we followed along the rest of the way silently. We walked for only a couple minutes before Vina called us to a halt.

"This is it. This is where they should have been when we came to look for them. As you can see, there's blood on the wall there," She gestured a few feet to her left, "But not much more."

Zenko Sensei began to rub his chin again.

"How did they leave you with the demands to stop clearing the tunnel? Did one of the bandits tell you in person?"

"Oh! I almost forgot. This was stuck into the wall with a kunai."

She reached in her pocket then handed Zenko sensei a piece of paper. He took the scrap and then unfolded it to read the contents.

"Cease clearing this tunnel for the return of your comrades. At the bottom it looks like the stamp of a snake. It appears it was stamped in blood." He relayed while examining it.

Picking his head up he looked to Vina as he folded it back up.

"Do you mind if I keep this? It would be a great tool to have in case we come across anymore like it."

"I'm not sure it's mine to give… But go ahead." She said glancing at the entrance. She folded her arms.

"The others may not like it, but I feel like this is the best way to get Bonzo and Kutoa back. They should at least understand that."

"Thank you, we'll do our best to make sure they return safely."

He bowed his head and turned to us.

"Have a look around and see if we can find anything more." He ordered and we all nodded.

"I'll let the four of you do what you need to. I'll be outside when you're done." Vina said nodding to Zenko Sensei and then walked past us toward the entrance.

Splitting into different directions, we all began to search the ground and walls for anything that might have been missed. If it wasn't for the glowing green sticks protruding from the walls in a few places, it would have been too dark to see. That being said, it was still pretty difficult to look for possible footprints or scraps of something without sufficient light.

After weaving a couple hand signs, I held my hand as if I was cupping water and formed a soft bluish glowing ball of light. Although it was completely useless in a battle, it worked great to help give me a little light in situations like this.

"Well aren't you resourceful." Tiberius commented glancing over at me and I smirked.

"I like to think I am." I replied and returned my attention to the task at hand.

We searched for the next five minutes, but other than loose rocks at the back of the unfinished tunnel, we all came up empty handed.

"I don't believe these bandits are reckless enough to leave clues behind Sensei." Said Mialo walking back over and crossing his arms.

"I don't think there's anything that might help us."

"I'll agree with that." Zenko Sensei said mimicking Mialo's posture.

"We better get going then, standing around here will only make the trail colder." He turned to leave the tunnel.

On our way? How were we supposed to do that if the tunnel was still blocked? He wasn't planning to climb over, was he?

As we exited the cave we found that the man named Min had returned and was standing with Vina looking vexed, but not nearly as angry as before.

"Did you find anything?" Min asked turning to us.

"I filled him in." Vina explained.

"Ah, we're sorry to hear about your companions." Zenko Sensei nodded his head to him apologetically.

"But no, we didn't find anything more in the tunnel. We'll continue to look for them as we make our way toward the Land of Rice Fields." He reassured

"We appreciate that, but how do you plan to get there? The tunnel remains unfinished." Vina said looking doubtful.

"We have other means of doing so."

That said, Zenko turned away from us biting his thumb and then forming hand signs.

"Summoning Jutsu!" He yelled and then planted his open hand onto the ground in front of him.

A large puff of smoke released from where he hit the ground and I covered my face with my arm as it dispersed. When the cloud cleared, my eyes widened in surprise at the two giant birds sitting in front of us.

"Wait, you can summon hawks? Why didn't you do this yesterday?" I exclaimed gesturing at the winged beasts.

"Well then we wouldn't have had that team bonding last night." Zenko Sensei winked crossing with a smirk.

"Besides, I try not to call on them if I don't have to. Hawks have busy lives too you know?"

How should I know? It's not like I'd ever had the chance to talk to one of the giant birds. I shook my head with exasperation. This guy was too much.

" Zenko, who's the little girl? Are you babysitting?" Asked one of the hawks tilting it's head to the side curiously.

My shoulders dropped and I scowled in annoyance at the giant bird as Zenko broke out in laughter. I shot Mialo and Tiberius a glare as they chuckled and then turned to hide their own laughs.

"She doesn't look that young Tiyubisu!" Zenko Sensei laughed looking up to the bird.

"Allow me to formally introduce you to the new fourth member of team 19. This is Seraphina Rakishima. Seraphina, this is Tiyubisu and Rybikuie. They're both hawks from The Valley of Umo."

"Nice to meet you…" I muttered still annoyed.

"She will be with us from now on, so you'll get multiple chances to get to know her." He smiled and put his hands on his hips.

"Ah, we were wondering when you would fill the space of that dark haired girl, you've been without a fourth member for a while now. The other left to teach your youth correct? Hopefully this one isn't as loud." Said Rybikuie.

"Only if there's a spider." Tiberius offered.

My face went red as I let out a growl.

"I told you, that spider was huge!" I defended myself.

Why was everyone ganging up on me?! I could hear Mialo chuckling beside me again, and let my head fall in shame.

"I give up." I muttered.

Turning back to the other two shinobi, Zenko Sensei nodded his head with a smile.

"We'll make it to the other side with the help of my hawk friends here. In the meantime, I suggest not working on the tunnel until this situation is resolved. We want to give your friends the best chance for survival, so it probably isn't a good idea to agitate their captors." He gave them a serious stare.

Min and Vina although looking grim, nodded in agreement.

"Very good, we'll get a message to you when it's safe to resume construction. Until then, do your best to remain patient."

"We will, but please hurry." Vina said and then rested her hand on Min's shoulder like earlier.

"Let's go and inform the others." She told him and he nodded.

As they turned to walk away, Min looked over his shoulder.

"Watch your backs, the two earth users that went missing were capable shinobi. If they didn't stand a chance against those bandits, it's hard to believe you might." He said before turning forward once more and walking out of ear shot.

"Good to know they have faith in us." Muttered Tiberius not bothering to keep his voice down.

"Tiyubisu, Rybikuie. Would you mind taking us to where this tunnel lets out?" Zenko asked looking to the hawks.

"No problem Zenko, but why not have us take you all the way to your destination?" Tiyubisu asked cocking his head from side to side.

"Normally I'd ask that since I brought you all the way here, but it appears the bandits we seek have already caught on to the fact someone has sent for help. Although it's quicker by air, it's more discrete by foot." He was crossing his arms and leaning on one hip.

"Mialo and I will go with Rybikuie. That means you two are with Tiyubisu." He said and then jumped onto the hawk's back.

"You may want to hold onto Tiberius for your first time flying Seraphina. I suggest not looking down too much if you're afraid of heights."

He grabbed Mialo's hand to help him up and then winked at me.

"Not of heights, of falling…" I muttered, but not loud enough for him to hear.

"Let's go." Tiberius said launching himself up onto Tiyubisu.

Looking up at the giant bird, I took a shallow breath and steadied my nerves before jumping up and grabbing the hand Tiberius offered.

How were you suppose to sit on a bird? Or on any animal for that matter? I'd never ridden one before, but usually they had saddles I believe… This was sure to be an experience I'd remember.

I settled for mimicking Tiberius and then hesitated not comfortable with putting my arms around him. After a second he looked over his shoulder with an eyebrow turned upward.

"Aren't you gonna hold on? It'd be a pain if you fell off and we had to go find you." He informed bluntly.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Oh, would it?" I said and then lightly placed my hands on his sides.

"Ready?" asked Tiyubisu still twitching his head from side to side.

It reminded me of someone who might have just eaten a ton of sugar and was too jittery to sit still. We must have been partnered with the more hyper bird, because Rybikuie seemed to be very calm. Hopefully that wasn't foreshadowing something with the ride we were about to go on…

"All good." Tiberius replied.

"Alright, off we go!" The hawk announced and then let out a cry that nearly startled me off his back.

Before I could regain my composure, Tiyubisu opened his enormous wings and took off from the ground in one giant flap.

"Ah!"

I let out a cry and despite myself, wrapped my arms completely around Tiberius in a panic.

I closed my eyes tight, pressing my face against my comrades back in an attempt to hang on. After a few moments we were no longer gaining altitude, but flying straight at a steady pace. I could feel my body tremble and my heartbeat felt as though it were rattling my ribcage. When I was brave enough, I slowly opened my eyes, but didn't loosen my grip.

The ground was far _far_ below us, the trees and grass blending together as we soared high enough to clear the tips and plateau`s of the mountain _._ The sky was so open and empty it felt like it stretched forever and you could clearly see everything for miles. Even with the amazing view, I would have enjoyed the expeirence way more if it didn't feel like it was so easy to fall off.

"Man, you're a scaredy-cat aren't you? All that effort to appear fearless, and yet we keep finding things that scare you." Tiberius said and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"I never claimed to be fearless." I muttered still pressed up against his back.

As much as I wanted to let go of him for making fun of me, the fear of falling to my death prevented that.

"But just because I'm afraid doesn't mean I'm any less a ninja. I might be freaking out on the inside, but the job still gets done." I retorted feeling miserable that he was my life line at the moment.

"I guess, but what happens when being scared prevents you from reacting in time? Being a chicken will result in your head getting chopped off."

"Yeah, well so will barging into battle like a bull set on fire." I retorted and forced myself to pull away from him slightly, enough that I could sit up without mashing my face into his back, but kept my arms around him securely.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded glaring over his shoulder at me.

"That you charge into battle like a bull on fire."

I combated his glare with a look of annoyance through the fear.

"I see you two are having fun." Zenko Sensei called and appeared beside us. I looked over with a blush coloring my already red cheeks to see Rybikuie coming to glide next to Tiyubisu.

Zenko was chuckling as usual and Mialo sat behind him looking very at ease on their giant bird.

"Next time she's riding with one of you, she nearly crushed my ribs when we took off." Tiberius grumbled.

"Drama queen." I muttered.

"Chicken."

I turned my head from my teammates to look down at all the rocks and dirt as we flew by and wondered just how long it would take someone to climb over this mountain. The tunnel really must have been a blessing, which had me thinking how many lives were being inconvenienced by its collapsed state. Our ride through the clouds only lasted a short time before we were angling downward in a spiral decent. I didn't have control of my limbs as I began using my vice grip on Tiberius once more. Weaving between trees we got lower and lower until we safely landed with a soft bounce on the ground and even after the fact, it took a moment before I felt confident enough to let my breath out. Tiberius was not entertained.

"We're on the ground, you can stop squeezing the air out of my lungs any time now."

"Sorry." I mumbled reluctantly and after releasing my grip, wasted no time jumping to the ground.

I let out another relieved breath.

"Sweet earth."

Letting my shoulders droop, I watched as my comrades jumped down from our hawk friends. The birds had brought us to a small clearing a little ways from the side of the mountain. Apart from the clearing, the only thing you could see around us was trees and the narrow dirt road that cut between them stretching into the distance. As I looked around, I got a sense of déjà vu when I spotted a particularly gnarled and twisted oak tree jut off the road and little ways into the forest. I narrowed my eyes at it wondering what was bringing me the feeling.

I could hear Zenko Sensei thanking the hawks, but couldn't bring myself to pay attention as I continued to stare at the tree. There was a feeling drawing me to it, but had I ever even been to this exact spot before? I listened only slightly to the conversation next to me and began to approach the oak.

Suddenly there was a wave that went through my mind; images I couldn't catch were gone before I could focus on them and I flinched slightly at the sensation as it was followed by a sudden pain like a spike in the back of my head.

Although I didn't wish to feel the pain again, I couldn't let go of the feeling that this tree was somehow significant. Slowly I continued approaching it, weary of the throbbing that was beginning at the base of my skull as I attempted to pinpoint the reason for its familiarity. I could hear someone say my name, but didn't dare break my concentration. I'd spent all morning trying to find my memories in vain and wasn't willing to give up after stumbling across a possible break through. I felt as though I'd grasped a thread of information and began to pull on it attempting to decipher its meaning. The throbbing had turned to sharp pangs as I came to stand beneath the tree, but I did my best to fight through it while looking up at the large thick branches. I was beginning to breathe uneven as I squinted one eye attempting to ignore the pain.

"Why are you so familiar?"

This tree had to be important somehow, I could feel it. I felt sweat start to dampen my forehead protector as I decided to get closer the object of my fascination. If I could just lay my hand against it...

"I _will_ remember." I whispered as I focused.

When I was close enough, I reached out to rest my fingertips against the rough bark. For just a second it was like a vast moment of clarity, and then I immediately realized I'd made a bad decision. The moment my hand touched the tree, a white flash appeared behind my eyes blinding me as pain seared into my brain. It felt as though my skull was trying to split open in an attempt to make more room for everything it couldn't contain.

"Ah!" I cried as I grabbed my head and dropped to my knees.

Even with my eyes clenched tight I felt the presence of someone approaching, but could do nothing as a high pitched screech rang in my ears. It was enough to make me fight against throwing up. I withdrew my thoughts from trying to remember any details about the tree, and frantically tried to back pedal in hopes it would stop the feeling of my head exploding.

Strangled noises escaped my lips as I crushed my hands against my skull, silently pleading for the pain to lessen. I could feel tears escape from the corners of my eyes as it began to feel like the world was spinning around me and yet somehow the pain grew.

Through the curtain of agony there was the pressure of someone's hand on my shoulder. I couldn't even manage to open my eyes.

"Seraphina, what's wrong?" I managed to comprehend over the screeching.

I didn't know what was wrong, but I could guess.

"T-Tree…" I croaked hoping someone, _anyone_ would understand.

I could hear muffled voices, but couldn't get past the pain to make out actual words. Suddenly my skin broke out in a cold sweat and all the hair on my body stood up. I was going to pass out. Good, then maybe the pain would stop.

Before that could happen though, I felt myself lifted from the ground. I tried to hold my last meal down, as the movement threatened to make me puke. I kept my hands against my head as I willed the stabbing pain away.

…

It seemed like forever before the crippling headache began to show signs of easing, but it was probably more like five minutes. After about five more it had shrank to a bearable throbbing. Terrified the pain would come back; I gingerly opened my eyes to see where I was.

The first thing I noticed were leaves going past, and when I finally released my trembling hands from my head, I could see my Sensei's face. I looked around just slightly trying to get my bearings and saw that I was cradled in his arms as we jumped from branch to branch through the forest. Was it the distance from the tree that was curing me?

After a moment Zenko Sensei looked down at me with a concerned expression.

"Your eyes are open. Are you feeling better then?" He asked not bothering to stop.

As he said this Tiberius and Mialo came closer to confirm I really had opened my eyes. If I didn't still feel like crap, my cheeks would have gotten red from the fact that our Sensei was carrying me.

"I- I believe so." I said wearily.

"I think I'll be okay if you set me down." I continued self-consciously.

Nodding his head, Zenko Sensei jumped down from the trees, landing lightly on the ground as Mialo and Tiberius followed. He set me back on my feet and grabbed my bicep lightly when I appeared momentarily unbalanced.

"Easy there." He said and released me when I was steady.

"I'll be alright."

I was finally feeling my face begin to go red.

"What the heck was that all about?" Tiberius questioned looking bewildered.

"One second you were looking at a tree, and then you were on the ground screaming!"

His loud narrating made me cringe as the sound banged around in my head. The worst of the pain had gone, but it'd left behind a headache. Wait, I wasn't screaming was I? Just then a horrible thought came to me. Was _I_ the screeching I'd heard in my head? I pushed the thought away.

"I Don't… completely know. I think it has something to do with the memories Orochimaru tampered with. That tree was familiar for some reason."

"You were trying to figure out why." Mialo stated more than questioned while watching me with a steady gaze.

I nodded.

"Yes… I was focusing on it and trying to pinpoint exactly what was giving me a feeling of déjà vu. I thought it was possibly a liaison point I'd used for one of his tasks, but when I touched the tree… it was like someone hit me in the head with a sledgehammer. Or… More like my brain was trying to explode out of my skull. I didn't end up remembering anything." I said with realization, and feeling disappointed in myself let my gaze fall to the ground.

All that pain for nothing. _Damn._

Zenko Sensei put his hand to his chin as he looked at me with a calculating thought

"One thing for sure is _I've_ never seen anything like this. We'll discuss it with Lady Fifth when we get back, perhaps her medical knowledge can give us some insight into what just happened."

Not wanting to meet his speculating gaze I looked away but I could still see him crossing his arms and looking at me with concern from the corner of my eye. I kept my head down and nodded in acknowledgement. I didn't like to be the source of someone's studies, but I would do what they asked of me without resistance.

"Are you well enough to continue Seraphina?" He asked and I picked my head up then.

"Yes, I'm okay." I replied and then noticed I was missing something as the wind blew and stirred my hair.

Clutching my head with alarm, I began to look around.

"My headband." I said and tried to remember when I'd even taken it off.

It was part of my uniform; I would have to go back for it.

"Here."

Tiberius reached into the pouch attached behind his back.

"You were grabbing at your head and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. I thought it might help if we took your headband off… it didn't seem to make a difference though." He said shrugging and handed it back to me.

I was surprised Tiberius of all my new comrades, had taken initiative to try and help me… I looked at him wordlessly and then reached out to take my headband.

"Thank you." I muttered quietly.

He shrugged his shoulders again and dipped his brows as he looked away.

"Don't make this awkward Phinie. You're annoying, but it's not like I want to watch you writhe in agony." He said thoroughly ruining the thoughtfulness of the gesture.

My nostrils flared in annoyance.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" I complained and ducked my head down to tie my headband back in place.

"That's your name isn't it?"

"No, it's Seraphina." I said plainly and rubbed my aching temple when I was done.

"Yeah, but that's a mouthful." He said waving a hand at me.

"And Tiberius isn't? It has just as many syllables." I said continuing to knead the side of my head with a grimace.

"Usually when someone has to say his name, they need the full weight of Tiberius because he's doing something to get on your nerves." Interjected Mialo with a smile.

"Who's side are you on?" Tiberius retorted and punched his comrade in the shoulder.

"Whatever side suits my mood." He replied and ignoring the punch turned to jump into the trees.

"Mialo's got the right idea, let's get going again. If you need to stop for a break, be sure to let me know Seraphina."

Zenko Sensei turned and jumped into the trees as well.

I glanced over at Tiberius and he smirked.

"You heard the man Phinie, get a move on!"

He launched after the others and I suppressed the urge to growl an inappropriate nickname for _him_. If not for the headache that still hindered me I may have done just that. I let out a tired breath and then sprung up into the trees to catch up with my squad. When I got in earshot of Zenko Sensei, I called out to him, cringing just a little at the pain caused by my own voice.

"Sensei." I called tentatively.

It felt almost intimate to refer to someone in such a way. It was only a tad less formal then saying Zenko Sensei, but it still made me uneasy.

"Hm?" He asked, ticking his head in my direction to indicate I had his attention.

"Where exactly are we going? Are we meeting someone for more details or immediately investigating for more clues?" I asked finding my voice.

I wanted to be helpful on this mission to show them how dedicated I was. To do that I would need to know exactly what was going on.

"Well first thing we'll be meeting discreetly with the people who hired us, but before we get there we need to change into civilian clothes. These bandits already have an idea someone is coming for them, so a group of four Leaf Ninja would definitely send red flags. After obtaining all the information we can from these people, we will find an inn nearby to stay at while we investigate. We'll further discuss our plan when we know more." He replied.

I nodded my head although he couldn't see.

"How close are we?"

He pointed ahead.

"We'll run for about another 30 minutes in this direction, then we stop to change. It will take very little time to get there from then. I guesstimate were currently a little more than 14 kilometers from our destination."

In the distance the sound of thunder was low and rumbling. As I looked in the direction Zenko Sensei had been pointing, I noticed the sky was a dark looming grey.

"Looks like we're running right into the rain." Mialo noted.

Tiberius groaned. "Maybe it will blow over before we get there."

Although I doubted this because I could feel the electricity charged air of a storm, I decided against squashing my comrade's hopes. I had a feeling the next few days were going to be soggy ones.

...

The next thirty minutes got progressively harder as my headache pounded, making me flinch occasionally. My body was begging for a break, but I was determined to make it to our destination first. How was I supposed to be a valuable member of this squad if I couldn't even tough out a slight headache? Okay, maybe it was a little more than a _slight_ headache, but I'd defiantly overcome much worse, so I wasn't giving in to this. By the time we got to where we were meant to change, I was feeling anything but good.

I fought to keep the grimace from my face, but the stupid headache was making me feel nauseous. I forced myself to take slow deep breaths while making a conscious effort to relax my shoulders which kept tensing up without my noticing.

Mialo eyed me as I placed my hand on my forehead and lightly applied pressure to my temples. Closing my eyes I took another slow breath and felt myself sway slightly. I quickly pried an eye open to regain balance and let out a miserable little huff. Maybe I shouldn't have pushed it so hard.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I startled at the touch.

"You're not looking well, why didn't you ask for a break?" Zenko Sensei inquired looking more serious than his usual self.

I casually slipped out from under his hand, hoping not to offend, and pulled my pack from my shoulders.

"I'll be alright, I didn't want to be the reason we take any longer getting to these people. They've waited long enough and shouldn't be held up because of me."

I knelt to the ground with my bag and removed the outfit I was intending to wear in place of my gear. Zenko Sensei regarded me mildly while crossing his arms.

"That may be true, but it's also part of our mission to return home alive and well if possible."

I waved a hand dismissively.

"I'm fine, really."

Without looking at him I quickly escaped behind some trees to switch clothes. My head spun momentarily and I dug my hand into the bark of the tree to stop the urge of being sick. The pain from the bark digging into my skin did little to break through the haze of the headache, but managed to distract me enough to keep me standing.

"Get a grip Seraphina." I said pressing my head into the trunk and after a moment of internal chiding, managed to convince myself I didn't feel _that_ bad.

I removed my headband and weapons belt setting them aside for a moment before unzipping my typical purple vest and switching it for a loose fitting navy tunic. I left my netted shirt on underneath the short sleeved tunic and then removed my weapons pouch from my leg to trade my pants for a dark grey pair off leggings. I decided to leave my braids in, but pulled everything back into a ponytail to appear more casual. If we were heading into the rain, wet dripping hair would only get in the way and stick to my face.

This was one of the few times being a bit busty was helpful. It made things easier when I needed to stored away ninja tools. I could thoroughly conceal a good deal on my body. I needed to be extra conscious because when wet, clothes stuck to your skin. I wasn't going to be carless and expose my hidden weapons with such an amateur move. After tucking the last of my senbon in place, I gathered my discarded gear and emerged from behind my tree.

My face immediately glowed a brilliant red as I walked out on the guys changing in the open. Momentarily forgetting the pounding in my head, I dropped some of my stuff with a squeak.

"What the heck!" I exclaimed feeling the heat flame in my cheeks as I made an effort not to look directly at them.

It was too late from the moment I'd glimpsed them though. Zenko Sensei had already been sliding on his other shirt, but Mialo and Tiberius were in their boxers; Tiberius in the middle of swapping pants, Mialo bent retrieving something from his bag.

"What?" Tiberius asked with pants half on.

"I- You-! Why are you changing out in the open?!" I stammered glancing sideways at them and then looking away again quickly.

Zenko let out a laugh and I could see him scratch his head from the corner of my eye.

"Sorry Seraphina, I guess we forgot we had a girl on the team again. We've gotten use to stripping wherever!"

"Please. Don't pretend you don't like what you see, I saw you steal another glimpse." Tiberius taunted continuing to slide his pants on the rest of the way.

"I-. Shut up." I said feeling my face continue to burn at their amusement.

"You're welcome to change with us if you're feeling left out." Mialo offered in that smooth voice of his, and although I wouldn't make eye contact, could see his grin in my head.

"You wish." I said snatching my fallen items off the ground and marching around Mialo to my own bag.

Zenko Sensei seemed entertained, but was the only one who appeared the slightest bit remorseful.

"I'll try to warn you next time." He chuckled.

I allowed myself to turn around when the guys were putting on a shirt.

"I don't see what the big deal is, Saimai didn't care if we changed around her and it's not like we were naked." Tiberius stated.

"Speaking of her…" I muttered.

"I can't help but get the feeling she's not fond of me…"

"I mean you did try to punch her in the face." Mialo offered and I huffed out a breath.

"She called me trash, scum, and a screw up all in one conversation. Did you expect me to just smile? You can only say so many things about someone before you risk a punch to the throat."

I couldn't help but notice Mialo's torso as he began to put a shirt on. I rubbed my temple once more as I stood before them, fighting the flush on my cheeks.

Mialo pulled his head through his maroon colored top then pushed the hair out of his eyes that was no longer being held back by his headband. His grin was the same as the one I'd seen in my head.

"So you've never seen a guy in boxers before?"

I fought the urge to flush deeper.

"Of course I have, my brother and I have changed around one another many times…" I muttered pretty sure that didn't count.

"So your brother got to see you change? Huh, what a waste." Tiberius sighed.

"Shut up, you idiot!" I said descending on him with a punch to his blond dome, and sent him crashing to the dirt.

"What was that for?!" He demanded rubbing his head with a scowl.

"It was a compliment!"

"It was disgusting and rude." I said crossing my arms as I glared down at him.

"Can't say I disagree with him…" Mialo added and I spun on him with a threatening fist that sparked with electricity.

"You wanna be next?" I demanded with flames in my eyes.

He waved his hands in front of him indicating surrender.

"No thanks, I'm good."

"That's what I thought." I growled and turned to walk towards the road.

After a few seconds of looking back and forth I realized I wasn't sure which way to go.

"Now… what direction do we need to be going?…" I said and then scratched the bridge of my nose absently.

I could hear Tiberius getting to his feet behind me with an exasperated sigh.

"You're joking, right?"

Ignoring his comment, I looked to Zenko Sensei who was shaking his head. He seemed to be steering clear of my wrath.

"Right this way." He gestured down the road to his left before turning to lead.

Adjusting my pack on my shoulders, I began to follow after him. As we walked, Zenko passed around lunch which was a granola bar and a bag of nuts. I didn't feel all that hungry with my head ache but made myself at least eat some of the nuts. I decided to make something clear to my teammates since we had some time before we got into town.

"I hope you don't think I'll let you get away with messing with me." I said glancing at the two of them.

"I'm a girl, but I won't play nice."

Tiberius had walked past me earlier so he turned beginning to walk backwards as he responded.

"Don't think _we'll_ play nice, just because you're a girl. I owe you one for that punch." He said shooting me a look.

Mialo was at my side.

"You don't want to start a fight you can't finish." He said glancing over at me.

I flinched as my head gave an extra painful pulse and rubbed the back of my neck in hopes that it would help.

"You're the ones who started it. If anyone should be worried about a fight they can't finish, it's you two. I've got three siblings who were always at each other's throats; I think I can handle two teenage boys."

I spoke in a easy tone to prevent my head from aching anymore.

Mialo continued to smirk.

"That may be true, but you're just getting to know us."

He closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

Tiberius turned around and continued walking the correct direction.

"Yeah, I don't think you understand what it means to be up against two teenage boys. Our sense of shame is almost non-existent."

Zenko Sensei shook his head again.

"First you wanted to rip each other apart, and now you're plotting pranks? The three of you had better keep out of trouble; this is a mission after all. I don't think you're understanding this whole _teamwork_ thing."

Mialo chuckled.

"What's the problem Sensei? Didn't you say we weren't any fun before?"

"You should be happy, at least we're getting along." Tiberius added.

"Who said I'm not happy? I'm perfectly pleased the three of you seem to be tolerating each other now. I suppose this isn't exactly what I had in mind though. Either way, I doubt Lady Third would be very thrilled if I had to explain why we got thrown out of an inn, because of some joke… Poking fun is perfectly fine, but don't forget why we're here. There's nothing funny about missing persons or relatives ending up dead. The last thing we want to do is offend someone by acting as if people suffering is a laughing matter."

I felt guilty then for losing focus and nodded my head dropping any prior playfulness.

"Hai. I apologize for acting immature." I said lowering my head with shame.

I scolded myself internally. I was a ninja, why did he have to remind me of that fact? I _knew_ better then to behave like this, and to make it worse, this wasn't the first time on this mission I'd acted poorly. I was overcome with the desire to give myself ten laps around the Leaf village or 200 pushups as a reminder to stop screwing around. If I was back with my master appointed by Orochimaru… I certainly wouldn't be acting like this.

Mialo put his hand on my shoulder and I jumped a little.

"You look like a kicked puppy Seraphina, don't take a simple reminder so hard." He said with an easy smile.

"I shouldn't need a reminder. It's never been acceptable for me to need one before, and there's no excuse for it now." I said glimpsing up at him and then back at the ground.

"It's human to need a reminder every once in a while. You're no longer under such severe leadership Seraphina, I won't condemn you for such minor things." Said Zenko Sensei looking back to reassure me.

"Besides! If I didn't have to scold you guys once in a while, I wouldn't feel very adequate as your Sensei!" He chuckled.

I smiled half-heartedly at his attempt to cheer me up, but didn't allow them to brush my slip ups under the rug. Try as they might to tell me otherwise, I knew better then to make such stupid mistakes. I would take those laps when we got back to the village. It couldn't do me any harm.


	11. A Dull Arrival

**A Dull Arrival**

I remained quiet the rest of the way to our destination in part because my head was still pounding, the other reason being I didn't believe I'd earned the right to participate in their idle chatter. It was like a small punishment until I could do my laps.

I did nod to show I was paying attention when Zenko Sensei told us our cover story for anyone not directly related to the mission. If someone inquired, Zenko Sensei was our teacher and it was his job to expand our knowledge on what it was like to live in different places. The Land of Rice Fields was the first stop of our journey. The less we said the better. If we kept it simple we wouldn't have to remember details, or get in a sticky situation by accidently telling two different stories to the same person.

Zenko Sensei waved a hand toward the wooden arch before us, that was lacking a sign and looking weathered.

"Here we are." He murmured as he led the four of us into town.

I'd never actually been in town while traveling to the Land of Rice Fields; all of my missions took place on its outskirts, but it certainly wasn't proving to be a remarkable place. Most of the people walking about appeared to be farmers, which wasn't the least bit surprising considering where we were. The place was dull, and tired looking with town's people matching that same description. They walked with heads down, stopping at carts once in a while, lacking the bustling energy of the people in Konaha. The only things with color were the awnings covering vendor's stalls and signs nailed above shops, but even those were a bit frayed and worn from the sun and rain.

We walked along kicking up small clouds of dirt on the dry cracked earth, as we made our way to our client's home. It was sure to be a muddy mess when the rain finally broke through the clouds.

I wasn't sure how Zenko sensei knew where to go, but I was horrible with directions, so I didn't ponder it too hard. If it wasn't for Mazoki, I would have gotten lost on so many missions. This fact was proven as I fled Orochimaru's hideout for the Leaf Village. After being attacked by the thugs my Mother had hired, I found I was turned around only after walking the complete wrong direction for almost an entire day. I was so angry with myself that I'd been tempted to give up right then and there. Despite my blunder, I forced myself to continue. By the time I had finally reached the Leaf, I was in disbelief, relieved, and exhausted.

I allowed myself to glimpse around, but tried to keep the movement to a minimum as it made my head spin a little. Stupid head ache, it just didn't want to go away. The dark clouds promising rain only added to the dull lifeless atmosphere. I noticed most of the vendors were securing tarp like sides on their stands to keep the things they sold dry. Considering it was still quite stuffy and hot outside, I could only imagine how much worse it must be to stand in a cramped space like that. You could barely catch a breeze with the tarps blocking it out, but no one would risk their inventory just to be cooler.

A stand selling glittering stones made into charms and necklaces caught my attention and I couldn't help but let my eyes linger on it as we continued to walk by. Suddenly a voice growled out at me.

"You gonna buy something, or just stare?" The owner of the merchandise demanded while leaning against the front of his stall with his arms crossed.

I stopped abruptly and my head gave a pang as I balked at the guy embarrassed.

"Oh, uh- I'm sorry sir, I don't have money for trinkets. They're beautiful though." I said trying to compliment him to compensate for my staring and lack of business.

"Trinkets aye? How bout I string _you_ up and make a pretty little trinket?" He sneered standing up from his leaning position with a nasty expression.

I'm sure my face was nothing less than horrified as I turned and jogged to catch up with the others.

Mialo and Tiberius were snickering.

"Shut up." I mumbled, trying to tame the flush in my cheeks.

We walked past a few gambling houses and a bar spilling out noise and the smell of booze. It was the only lively thing I'd seen so far. A couple very drunk men were leaning heavily against each other looking sloppy and wobbly when I made another unfortunate mistake and caught eye contact.

"Hey little lady! How about an escort home? You're not gonna leave a couple hard working guys all alone, are you?" One of the guys slurred as the other gave a drunken smirk.

They must have felt so clever and witty. Too bad I didn't feel the same.

"I can't catch a break, can I?" I said hunching my shoulders uncomfortably.

"Sorry gentlemen, she's taken." Mialo said draping an arm casually over my shoulders and tugging me against him.

I gave a little startled cry at the intimate gesture and gripped the strap of my pack tightly, trying to prevent myself from drawing more attention.

"Lucky boy!" The drunk guy called.

"Give that cute little butt a pinch for me!" The other yelled and I wanted to faint with embarrassment.

"If he doesn't, I will." Tiberius called back over his shoulder and I gaped.

I grabbed him by the front of the shirt and shook him violently.

"Cut it out you pervert! I swear to god, I'll suffocate you in your sleep if you even _think_ about trying that!" I threatened and continued to shake him, knowing my face was as red as a tomato and that people were staring.

It took Mialo prying my fingers out of the fabric of Tiberius's shirt and dragging me along to defuse the situation. Despite my threats the boys were still snickering when we finally stopped in front of a dinky little house in the middle of town. My head was still pounding and my face red when Zenko Sensei turned to us before knocking on the door.

"What are you waiting for?" Tiberius asked arching a brow.

In a swift motion that my eyes had trouble keeping up with, a short wooden staff appeared in Zenko's grip and he flicked it out with lightning speed. His first target was Mialo who took a smack to the side with a yelp, and then Tiberius who got a whack over the head. Just as quick as it appeared, it disappeared back into its hiding place.

I stood frozen with wide eyes, wondering if I was next as the guys grabbed their head and side.

"What was that for?!" Tiberius squawked with both hands on his head.

Mialo said nothing but scowled and gripped his side with an eye clenched shut.

"Stop picking on Seraphina. I know she can take care of herself, but if she follows through with any of her threats, we'll be looking for a new teammate all over again." He crossed his arms.

"I knew it, you _are_ favoring her." Tiberius grumbled but flinched when Zenko Sensei put a hand on his shoulder.

"Would you like me to pay more attention to you, Tiberius?" Zenko asked with an all too innocent smile.

He shook him off.

"Can we get on with this mission already." Tiberius sulked, turning away as he continued to rub his head.

"Great idea." Our Sensei chuckled and turned around to knock on the door.

After a few seconds, the padding of hasty footsteps could be heard, followed by a thump as something slammed up against the opposite side of the door. A shout followed the noise and then the door was thrown open by a little boy looking disheveled and out of breath.

"Did you find papa?!" He exclaimed with a feverish hope in his eyes.

Before we could answer, a boy looking close to my own age, flew into the room closing the door most of the way, and put himself between us and the little boy.

"Akeno, what have I told you about answering the door?" He scolded angrily as the young boy tried to squeeze past him.

"I just want to know if they found Papa. I wanna see Papa." He whined, but only someone without a heart could be mad at the kid.

The older boy let his shoulders drop a little. So it was their Father who was missing.

"I know little man." Was all he said before turning his attention to the four of us.

"Please excuse my younger brother, is there something I can help you with?"

He looked us over with a tense stare. Zenko Sensei gave him a kind smile which helped to defuse the tension slightly.

"Actually, we've come to help _you._ If you have a private place we might speak, we would be more than happy to introduce ourselves."

The kid looked like he wanted to believe us because he perked up at Zenko Sensei's words, but he held firm, dipping an eyebrow and looking at us sideways through the small gap in the door.

"How do I know I can trust you?" He asked, continuing to hold back his younger brother.

Without saying anything, Zenko reached into a pouch on the side of his bag and retrieved a scroll which he handed to the leery boy before us. Remaining silent he took the rolled up paper offered to him, and quickly got to reading its contents. After a few moments of silence there was a quiet sigh of relief.

"It's about time. Please, come inside."

He waved a hand indicating for us to file in, and stepped to the side allowing us entrance. I noticed his look of confusion when he saw Tiberius rubbing his head and found myself wanting to laugh. The boy closed the door after Mialo and bowed his head slightly as he turned to us.

"I apologize for the skepticism, we're a bit on edge if you couldn't tell. My name is Jomei, I'm the one who requested help from the Leaf Village."

Now that we were inside and he wasn't half concealed by a door, I could get a better look at him. The boy was pleasantly attractive and I was annoyed at how this fact made me want to flush. Hadn't I done enough of that lately? I really needed to get a hold on myself.

Side by side, you could see the resemblance between Akeno and Jomei. Although the color and texture of their hair was different; Jomei's being dark brown and wavy while the younger's was a bit lighter and straight, their noses and eyes were very similar. He wore his hair cropped short on the back and sides but left the top long and messy. The only thing that didn't seem to fit was the dark bruise like circles beneath his tired eyes. Considering what he must be going through, I felt under eye bags were to be expected.

Zenko Sensei waved a dismissive hand at him.

"Under these circumstances it is wise to be cautious. We apologize for our delay, we ran into a bit of trouble on the road. It seems as though the bandits we seek struck again at a much traversed tunnel through the mountains, the number of missing people has increased."

Just then another head poked around the corner. It was a little girl looking to be the same age as the little boy. Her hair was long and very similar to Akeno's.

"Are these the ninja who are going to rescue papa, Jomei?"

She tucked a long brown lock behind her ear and looked us up and down with scrutiny.

"They don't look like ninja to me." Said a boy walking into the room, with hands in his pockets.

If I had to guess I'd say he was ten or so. He looked very similar to his older brother, but kept longer hair.

Jomei let out a tired sigh and rested his middle and index finger against his forehead.

"Guys, I told you to wait in the other room with Aunt and Uncle. The three of you will be the death of me, I know it."

"Why did Akeno get to answer the door then?" Pouted the little girl balling up her hands and crossing her arms.

"He wasn't supposed to, and he's _not_ going to do it again. Are you Akeno?" Jomei asked shooting his little brother a pointed look.

Akeno stuck out his lower lip and then crossed his arms and turned away.

Jomei shook his head and sighed again.

Zenko chuckled reminding Jomei of his guests.

"Is there somewhere we might sit down to discuss things?" Zenko Sensei inquired.

"Ah yes, of course. You may leave your shoes here and I'll show you into the other room. Akeno, Akiko, go tell Aunt and Uncle that the ninja from the Hidden Leaf have arrived. Roka, boil some water for tea."

"Right!" Said the two little ones stampeding from the room.

Roka on the other hand gave an annoyed groan.

"What are you gonna do? You're always giving orders and barely doing anything."

Jomei gave his brother a look of irritation.

"Fine, I'll make water for tea. Show them where to go."

With that he turned and left the room.

After the four of us placed our shoes neatly by the door we looked to Roka for direction.

His face was smug at pulling one over on his older brother, who didn't seem to have it in him to fight.

"Right this way." He gestured and led us through the small house.

It was a short walk into a small but open room, where a man and a woman sat on a couch as the two young children hung on the arms. Being that they most likely didn't accommodate such large amounts of guests at once, someone had placed a few thin cushions on the floor to make more places to sit.

The man and woman looked over as we entered the room and then stood in a hurry to bow deeply.

"Thank you for coming." The man said maintaining the pose.

The four of us bowed back and straightened before Zenko Sensei spoke up.

"Please, remain seated. There's no need to be so formal."

He gave them one of his squinted eyed smiles and they seemed to relax a bit. Zenko Sensei seemed to have that effect on a lot of people. With grateful smiles the two sat down on the edge of their seats and gestured to the four cushions arranged in a line on the floor.

"Please make yourselves comfortable, we apologize for not having better seating arrangements." The woman looking remorseful.

"This will be fine." Our Sensei reassured her.

As we sat down with our legs folded under us on the cushions, I was surprised to find the little girl suddenly appear in front of me, and promptly seat herself with her back to me.

"Oh-" I managed to utter as my head gave a painful throb and I held back my flinch of pain.

"Hi." I said looking down at the six year old with a confused smile.

"Was there something I could help you with?"

Sticking to her straight forward behavior she looked over her shoulder at me and gave an expectant look.

"Braid my hair." She said in a way that was more like a demand, but coming from a little girl it was hard to not give a sound of amusement.

"Uh, I'm not really sure that's why we're here…" I said in a squinted eye smile as I tried to be polite.

"Akiko honey, leave the young lady alone. She didn't come here to do hair, they're here to find your Father." The woman chided.

"Not _her_." The girl retorted and got to her feet to cross her arms.

"Girls can't be ninja." Akiko declared, and I gave a startled noise.

I could feel the guys smile, but they said nothing. I suspected the reason for this was not wanting another thrashing from Zenko.

"W-what do you mean?" I asked dejectedly.

"Of course a girl can be a ninja, we're called kunoichi." I defended myself.

"I'm not dumb, I know girls can't be ninja." She said matter-of-factly.

"Who told you that?" I asked wanting to put that person in their place.

"Roka did, he said woman don't become ninja because their too weak." She shrugged.

I glimpsed over at the boy she mentioned with annoyance. He responded with a raised eyebrow and then looked away as if he were bored.

"If I might interject, I'd like to disagree with that statement." Zenko said with one of his friendly smiles.

"Seraphina single handedly took on these guys in a two on one match and came out victorious. That alone could prove a woman can be a ninja." He offered and I couldn't help but to smile a little at the praise. I noticed the guys no longer looked so smug.

"Really?" The girl asked seeming utterly surprised. That too seemed a bit insulting, but I decided to let it slide.

I shook my head and then had a thought.

"Akiko is it?" I said looking to her and she nodded with a smile.

"If you didn't believe girls could be ninja, why else would I be here?"

She pondered for only a moment before holding a finger up as she explained her reasoning.

"To cook, and do their laundry, and take care of them!" She giggled as though it were obvious.

My head nearly hit the floor as I made a series of strangled noises before finding my words.

"You thought I was their maid?!" I exclaimed sitting back up feeling my face flush red.

Mialo and Tiberius had begun laughing and even Zenko Sensei was chuckling light heartedly.

"Who else would do those things?" Akiko wondered aloud.

It took everything in me to keep my voice at a normal level.

"They can do their own laundry and cooking. They know how to take care of themselves just as much as I do." I huffed ignoring the urge to cross my arms.

It was then that Jomei returned with a pot of tea and a stack of cups under his arm.

"What are you guys talking about?" He asked setting his load down on the low table in front of the couch.

Akiko beamed at her older brother.

"Girls can be ninja Jomei, did you know that?"

He gave her a questioning look and then smiled at her.

"Of course they can." He chuckled.

"Why else would she be here?" He asked nodding his head at me.

"I thought it was to cook and clean, but Seraphina said they can do that by themselves!" Akiko exclaimed.

Jomei raised his brows at that, and gave me an apologetic smile.

"What a silly thing to say, where on earth did you get that idea?"

The little girl pointed her finger at her other brother accusingly.

"Roka's been telling me lies!" She said throwing her hands on her hips and glaring at him.

Jomei shot his younger brother another irritated glance making Roka throw his hands up with a smirk.

"All I said was girls were too weak to be ninja. She assumed the rest on her own." He snickered.

Part of me wanted to demonstrate to the kid how his assuming was wrong, but what did it matter if he thought I was weak? It's not like his opinion affected me, so I just let it go.

Jomei shook his head.

"Go get the sugar, I wasn't able to carry everything in one trip." He told Roka who surprisingly got up with only a little scowl.

"Okay," Said Jomei after Roka returned with the sugar and everyone had a cup of tea in front of them.

"Let's start with the introductions. You've already met the twins, this is Akiko and Akeno. Next in age order would be Roka and then myself. This is our Aunt Mia and Uncle Bori."

The two bowed their heads as Jomei introduced them.

"Thank you for coming to the Leaf Village for assistance." Zenko Sensei said bowing his head in return.

"These are my subordinates, Mialo, Tiberius, and Seraphina. My name is Zenko. I'd like to start from the beginning; could you please tell me everything that has happened up until now?"

Jomei's expression grew tense but he nodded his head solemnly.

"The trouble began when we were leaving our home on the outskirts of the Land of Rice fields. We come to visit my Aunt and Uncle who live here in town between seasons. This time of year is when we are usually able to make the trip, so it wasn't anything unlike other visits into town. The hike here takes the better portion of the day with the six of us walking but aside from that, it's never been treacherous in any way. Unfortunately this time around there were rumors of a bandit gang skulking on a few of the most traversed paths into town. It was said they were targeting large caravans and anyone who looked to be carrying something worth value."

A dark look washed over his face and even Roka seemed to lose his previous smugness, taking on a look of sadness. The two younger ones had taken a seat at their Aunt and Uncle's feet in front of the couch and sadness was evident in their faces as they curled themselves around their knees.

A feeling of pity rose in my heart as I took in their empty expressions. Something terrible had happened, that was obvious.

"Our Mother had suggested skipping our usual trip because of the rumors, but our Father wasn't convinced. He believed that if there _were_ bandits, they wouldn't be at all interested in a family of farmers. There are only a few optimal times throughout the year where we can visit and he didn't want some rumor to ruin that."

Jomei looked at the ground sullenly.

"He was wrong. We were about an hour from town when suddenly a group of five men dressed in dark clothes appeared on the road. Four of the men carried short swords but the one in the front carried a staff with a blade on either end."

A bladed staff? A unique weapon choice that had me thinking of an unwelcome face from my past. The thought had my head spinning, so I let it go for now. I was trying in vain to will away the headache I still had and fought the urge to close my eyes and rest my forehead in the palms of my hands.

"Do you recall the faces of any of the men? Facial hair, scars, anything like that?" Zenko inquired with a focused stare.

Jomei shook his head morosely.

"They all wore black masks that covered everything but their eyes. The man with the staff was the only one with a different mask from the others, his was also black, but had a red snake on it."

"Hmm," Zenko hummed thinking to himself and then nodding to Jomei.

"Please continue."

Jomei nodded his head, though his lips were pressed into a tight line.

"My Father ordered me to the front to protect the others… But I wasn't strong enough. When the four men attacked by the staffed man's order, it only took seconds before they had taken our Father down. I did everything in my power to fight back, but I had no weapon and each of them wielded a sword with much practice. Naturally I was down only moments after our Father when one of them sliced me across the chest."

Jomei lifted his shirt to reveal bandages that still wrapped his ribcage.

"The man with the snake mask grabbed me then, and held a kunai to my throat asking where all our money was." Jomei continued and dropped his shirt.

"I told him we had very little and this angered him. He pressed the blade against my throat and was about to cut it, when our Mother descended on him in an attempt to save me." His voice shook with the last word and he let his head fall as his shoulders drooped.

"One of the other masked men drove a kunai into her heart before she could even reach me." Jomei voice was so low it was hard to hear him.

My brow furrowed in anger but I remained silent as he told the rest of his story. We had to wait a moment before Jomei could gather himself to continue, and I couldn't help but to notice the quiet sobbing of the two youngest, and the tear riddled faces of both their Aunt and Uncle. Roka was the only one not crying, but his face was screwed up into an angry expression. Only a single tear escaped Jomei before he pulled himself together enough to finish.

"Realizing there was nothing to be gained after finding our money stash, the man in the snake mask shoved me to the ground and went to my Father who was struggling against the men holding him to fight his way to our Mother. When the man stood in front of him, he declared our Father would be the compensation for the lack of money we had. He was quickly rendered unconscious with a punch to the jaw and before any of us could do a thing, the whole gang disappeared with our Father."

Jomei looked even more tired than before, and I didn't blame him. He had witnessed his Mother's murder right in front of him, and then watched helplessly as they took his Father. In that moment the responsibility to protect his siblings was entirely thrust upon him. No wonder he had shadows under his eyes. Now my heart ached along with my head.

To me it didn't feel right to interrogate any further at the moment, but as a ninja I knew it was a necessity if we were to complete this mission successfully. Because of this I understood why Zenko proceeded.

"How many days has it been since the incident?" He questioned in full jōnin mode.

"I contacted the Leaf village the day after we managed to make it to our Aunt and Uncle's. Since that gang took all the funds we were traveling with, they loaned me the money for the mission request. We got the response Leaf ninja were on the way two days later, and then the four of you arrived so… today is the fifth day he's been missing." Jomei concluded.

"Hmm, that would have given them more than enough time to take him to whatever base they have set up. They wouldn't be more than a day or two away from the locations they attack. Did they leave anything behind when they left with your Father?"

I had I feeling our Sensei asked this because of the incident at the tunnel.

"Not that I'm aware of-" Jomei began but was cut short when Roka spoke up.

"Like what?" He demanded in an even tone causing his older brother to look at him.

"Anything left behind, like a weapon or scrap of clothing. These bandits have been known to leave ransom notes as well." Zenko replied.

The boy listened intently to the response and then looked down as though he were mulling something over.

"Roka, do you have something I don't know about?" Jomei inquired with a quizzical expression.

After a few long seconds with no answer, the eldest sibling pressed.

"Roka?"

Without so much as a glance at Jomei, Roka reached into a fold in his clothing and withdrew a black kunai he then promptly thrust out to Zenko Sensei.

"Here." He said with stiff lips.

Zenko bowed slightly before gently taking the weapon from the boy. Once relieved of the item, Roka returned to his arm crossed position.

Jomei narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Where did you get that? And why didn't you tell me you had it?" Jomei added.

Without looking up, Roka nudged his head in the direction of the kunai."

"That's the weapon the scumbag used to- kill Mom." He said in a low voice that dripped hate.

"After we buried her I kept the blade. The hilt of the handle has a snake like the one the man had on his mask."

Roka conveniently left out the answer to Jomei's questions.

"Hmm…" Said Zenko as he retrieved the scrap of paper Vina had given him.

After unfolding the paper, he flipped the blade over to compare the stamp of a snake on the ransom note with the mark on the kunai. After nodding to himself he lightly placed the end of the handle over the stamped mark that was done in blood.

"A perfect match." Zenko said to himself and then looked up to the people around him.

"The hilt of this handle doubles as a stamp. The image on the ransom note from the group we came across earlier is the same as the mark on this kunai. I believe we would be correct in saying both incidents involved the same group of thugs."

Zenko put his hand to his chin and rubbed it in thought.

"So now what? Are you going to find our Dad or just sit here?" Roka demanded and held out his hand for the blade he had given our Sensei.

"Roka, watch your tongue." Jomei snapped.

Zenko didn't seem to mind, and got to his feet as he looked to the second oldest.

"We'll get to work right away."

He handed the kunai back, handle out, to Roka who took it without a word and hid it in his clothing once more.

"We'll begin the investigation in town and come back to you if we've heard anything promising. Until then, sit tight. I apologized I can't offer anything else just yet." He added at Roka's look of dissatisfaction.

Tiberius, Mialo, and I got to our feet joining Zenko Sensei in bowing to our clients before following him to the door. Jomei followed behind us with a somber look on his face, waiting to speak up until we had stepped outside. He stood in the doorway preventing any of his siblings from peeking out.

"What can I do to help? I've been sitting around here for days waiting for some answers, please tell me what I can do."

His expression was serious as he stared at our Sensei.

It was actually Mialo who responded, and I glanced over at him as he spoke.

"Right now the best thing you can do is to finish recovering from that chest wound. It will take time to investigate any potential leads, and we need to be cautious as to not stir up suspicion. The last thing we want is for that gang to hear people are looking for them. If that happens they'll tighten their defenses, and might even lash out to scare off any pursuers."

Jomei didn't look happy with the answer he received, but he didn't seem to have a counter argument.

"Very well…" He said letting out a sigh.

"Though I do request you tell me of any progress made with the investigation. I'm trying to be patient, but I'm no parent figure… These kids need at least one of our parents. I can't fill that role." He said and ran a hand through his hair looking tired.

"We'll keep you informed, but I won't waste time running to you with every detail. For now you will have to have faith in us." Zenko said nodding his head to Jomei.

With lips in a tight line he nodded back after looking us over and retreated inside shutting the door behind him.

"What now?" Asked Tiberius as we began to walk once more.

"There are a few discrete inns here in town so we will check into one then begin our investigation."

We walked a few blocks from our client's house until we came before an old and slightly dilapidated looking building. A few of the shutters were hanging crooked from the windows and some were just missing all together. The building looked like it might have been blue at some point, but had faded to the point of looking dull and grey.

"Hmm… charming." I said quietly with upturned eyebrows.

Tiberius put a hand on his hip and then scratched the back of his head.

"When you said _discrete,_ did you really mean dump?"

Zenko chuckled lightly.

"Come now, it's not that bad. Give it a chance, we haven't even gone in yet."

As he gave us a reassuring smile, one of the loose hanging shutters creaked in the wind that was picking up and with a * _crack_ * broke free from its hinge. It fell to the ground smashing into pieces, and scattering wood.

"I certainly hope the roof doesn't collapse on us." Mialo said quietly as we all gave Zenko Sensei a look of concern.

"Nonsense, I'm sure it's just cosmetic damage. Let's stop talking and get a room."

Zenko led the way into the inn and the three of us reluctantly trailed after him. Walking right up to what seemed to be the counter, we all looked around trying to spot someone who worked at the place. The inside smelled a bit like cigarettes and mothballs, making it even more dreary than the outside. The desk was made of wood and on the back wall, but no one appeared to be manning it. Zenko Sensei leaned over the desk and looked around in the hopes of finding someone.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" He asked still looking around quizzically.

After a few moments of silence there was the creaking of a door and we all looked to the right of the desk where a man emerged.

"What do you want?" The man demanded.

He was tall with dark hair a little longer than chin length, and an expression that said we were a nuisance.

"Ah, there you are. We were beginning to think no one worked here." Zenko replied with his usual cheery attitude.

The man just stared at him and then repeated his earlier statement as he took his place behind the desk.

"What do you want?"

"Hmm, getting straight to the point I see. Alright, we'd like a room please, preferably one to comfortably accommodate four." Zenko Sensei had dropped some of his cheer, but remained polite.

"We offer one size room, take it or leave it."

He stared at the four of us like he could care less if we accepted the offer. Shrugging his shoulders Zenko nodded his head.

"I suppose that's fine, we'll take it." He said reaching into a pocket and then setting some Ryo on the counter.

The man behind the desk crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the money with scorn.

"That's all?"

"I do believe that's the price the sign says." Zenko replied with a still polite tone.

The man barked a bitter laugh.

"Who do you think you're kidding? I know the look of ninja when I see um. Your kind are always bringing trouble around. It's gonna cost more than that for the likes of you."

Just as I was pondering what was up this guy's butt, and was contemplating giving him a piece of my mind, Mialo made eye contact with me as if to say let it go. I had no such intention, but before I could open my mouth, Zenko Sensei started to laugh. He put his hands on his hips and leaned back continuing to laugh as the guy at the counter gave him an unamused expression.

I was confused but tried not to show it as Zenko Sensei turned around and then jabbed his thumb at the man.

"Did you hear that kids? This guy thinks we're ninja!"

He continued to laugh and to my puzzlement Tiberius smirked as Mialo offered a slight chuckle. I turned my head to the side in an attempt to hide my awkwardness. This must have been an act the three had performed before. I was smart enough to know when we were playing dumb, but a poor actor, and an even worse liar. If it wasn't centered on or around truth, then I started talking too much and ruined the whole thing. I decided to leave the bit to them.

After a couple more seconds of laughing the man behind the counter was still scowling. Zenko wiped a fake tear from his cheek and then leaned on the counter with one arm.

"That's a good one, you really had me going for a second there." Zenko Sensei said in a sudden neutral tone.

The change through me off. The mood almost seemed eerie when coming from our boisterous Sensei.

"I'd have to say though, you're lucky we _aren't_ ninja. Who knows what a ninja might do if you attempted to hustle them with inflated prices?"

Zenko gave a bitter laugh of his own, and turned his head to us while still leaning on the counter.

"What do you suppose they'd do kids?" He asked with a dangerous look in his eyes.

Tiberius spoke up first.

"How should we know? It's not like were ninja." He said crossing his arms while taking on the same air of our Sensei.

He looked over at Mialo who shrugged and although he was his casual self, had the same look in his eyes as the other two.

"I don't know, maybe they'd teach him a lesson." Mialo said in his mellow voice and then looked at _me._

 _CRAP!_ Oh man, don't drag me into this! I said the first thing that came to mind.

"Uh, yeah… Maybe they'd shave his cat." I said, and immediately wanted to jump off a cliff.

I mentally punched myself in the face. _Shave his cat?! Seriously? What the hell is wrong with you Seraphina!?_

Mialo coughed beside me, but I suspected it was to cover a laugh. I looked away again and attempted to prevent myself from slamming my head on the wooden desk for my stupidity. The man behind the counter gave an odd look and shook his head.

"I don't have a cat." He said giving me a face that implied I was a lunatic.

Great. He didn't even _have_ a cat. My career as a ninja was over. I'd have to find a new village, change my name, cut my hair…

"Only a fool would take that literally." Zenko said, in the same neutral voice.

"Clearly she was implying you might lose more than a few hairs by trying such a stupid stunt."

The man narrowed his eyes at Zenko as his scowl returned. Was it possible that our Sensei had managed to cover my flop?

"Is that a threat?" He asked.

Suddenly Zenko Sensei's arm flashed out, and a single kunai imbedded itself into the sign on the wall listing the room price. A few hairs from the left side of the man's head flitted to the floor as he stood frozen with wide eyes.

"Now I'm no ninja…" Zenko Sensei drawled while still leaning on the counter.

"But if I were, that might be a threat."

He stood up straight with an unreadable expression, and watched as the man failed at finding his words. After a few moments Zenko spoke up.

"So, how about that room?" He asked, with a dangerously sweet smile.

At first the man narrowed his eyes again, but then he rolled them as he yanked a drawer open, and after fishing around, tossed a key on the counter.

"Fourth floor, last room on the right. Elevators broken." He spit then snatched the money off the counter before turning to grab a clipboard to look busy, but I suspected it was an attempt to not to look as cowed as he was.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Zenko said, apparently back to his cheerful self.

"Let's go kids."

He nudged his head toward the stairs and we followed his lead. As we made our way up all four flights of stairs, I couldn't help but think the man had intentionally picked a room on the top floor. Surely he had other available rooms, we hadn't even seen another guest in the lobby and I was pretty certain the place didn't see a lot of traffic.

With my embarrassment wearing off, I was fortunate enough to remember my dull but pulsing headache. On the bright side, with so many stairs to climb, by the time we'd got to the top I'd begun to convince myself that maybe I hadn't made a complete fool of myself.

Making our way down the dim lit hall with flickering lights until we met our door all the way at the very end, we waited as Zenko Sensei stuck the key in, he had to jiggle the knob a bit to actually get it unlocked. When we were all in and the door was shut behind us, before I could even take a look at our temporary dwelling space, Tiberius was all over me.

" _Shave your cat?!"_ He yelled tossing his bag to the floor and making my head ring from the volume of his voice.

"What kind of threat is that?!"

Zenko Sensei had begun laughing and put his hands on his hips as he tilted his head back. As usual I felt the telltale signs of embarrassment creep into my cheeks.

"No one warned me we were doing some play dumb act! I don't do well under social pressure." I grabbed the back of my neck and looking away.

"Maybe not, but why shave a cat? Is that something you've done before?" Asked Mialo looking entertained.

"No! Of course not, that's awful." I said, and ran my hand over my head exasperated.

"I don't even have a cat." I added.

"Neither does he." Mialo offered and I let out an annoyed breath as Mialo and Tiberius began to crack up.

"Shut up."

Unable to come up with anything else, I turned away from them as they continued to laugh, and proceeded to take a look at where we would be staying. There was a single bulb hanging from the ceiling, and a large window with a small unsafe looking balcony with a view out onto a few deserted looking buildings and a dumpster. The place consisted of the main room which was a small but open space, with a single bathroom in the corner. To the right of it was a shallow closet missing the door. I couldn't help noticing there was a stack of about four metal buckets sitting by the door to the balcony, and wondered if the person who last cleaned the room had accidentally left them. The uneven wooden floor was so dusty I found it hard to believe someone had cleaned it anytime recently.

"I think the inside might be worse than the outside." I said setting my pack on the dirty floor, and then walking to the bathroom.

I poked my head in and when I flipped the light switch, the bulb sparked to life only momentarily before it popped and rained glass onto my head.

"Ah!" I squeaked and took a step back out of the bathroom as the rest of the glass tinkled to the floor.

"Sheesh, what'd you break already?" Tiberius inquired as he tossed his pack to the ground and walked over.

I threw a hand toward the now dark bathroom.

"I didn't break anything! I flipped the switch and the bulb exploded!"

I let my shoulders drop.

"And now I've got glass in my hair. This place is a dump." I muttered with slumped shoulders.

"Thanks for taking one for the team." Mialo said removing one of his hands from his pockets to give me thumbs up.

I just gave him an annoyed glare and let out a pathetic breath. My mood was suffering from my headache, and I was having trouble trying not to come off as a whiner. It was proving to be difficult. Seeming to take pity on me, Mialo smiled and nodded his head toward the window.

"Come over here in the light, I'll pick out the glass."

I did as I was told, walking into the light coming from the window and sat down dejectedly on the dusty floor. Mialo slid his pack from his shoulders, and walked over to kneel down before me. I tilted my head forward at his instruction and he began removing glass. His touch was light as he picked out the tiny shards, making a small pile next to us.

As Mialo continued to pick the glass out, I could see Tiberius poking around the bathroom and heard the crunch of his footsteps as he looked around.

"Huh, looks like that was the only light Sensei. And this bulb is still broken in the socket. We'll have to tell that jerk at the desk to clean up the glass and fix the light. You think you can get him to do that?" He asked with a doubtful look behind him.

Zenko Sensei chuckled.

"I'm sure we can get him to see reason."

A few seconds later Mialo finished and sat back on the floor next to me.

"There, I got everything I could see but there might be little pieces I missed. Be careful when you wash your hair." He advised.

"Thanks." I nodded then picked my head up to look at our Sensei.

"Maybe we should look into a different inn, I can feel the electricity of a big storm in the air. This building is probably going to blow over by the end of it." I muttered.

He only smirked a little before setting his own pack down to join Mialo and I on the floor. Tiberius saw our little circle and also came to sit.

"I know it doesn't seem an inn like this could hold any advantage, but aside from the affordable price, there are a few benefits."

"Like what?" Tiberius asked with clear doubt as he flopped onto the floor beside Mialo.

"Well for starters, there isn't a large amount of other guests. We don't have to be as alert for listening ears. That goes hand in hand with the lack of hospitality. For the most part, the people who work here won't go out of their way to bother us. Since no one will be paying particular attention, we can come and go at all hours without worry of people getting suspicious."

I didn't want to admit his points were valid, because I really didn't want to stay at this dilapidated crack house.

"Yeah, but isn't there some place we could go that isn't threatening to collapse? We passed a few other inns on the way to Jomei's Aunt and Uncle's, why don't we try one of those?" I offered.

"This one's already been paid for, unless you think you can get the money back." Zenko retorted coyly and I stiffened.

"I'd suggest a different threat than shaving his pets." Mialo offered rather unhelpfully.

My eye twitched, and I tossed my ponytail over my shoulder with and annoyed flick. Turning on my two teammates I tried to gain their support halfheartedly.

"Don't you guys want to sleep in a place that's been cleaned sometime this century? I doubt there's been a cleaning crew here for _months_." I pointed out.

Mialo shrugged.

"At least we won't be sleeping outside again."

I looked to Tiberius with little hope.

"I agree with Mialo. Besides, I'm not paying for the new room. If you want to though…" He waved a hand to me saying 'go ahead'.

I frowned and let out a sigh.

"I don't have the money."

"Well that settles that." Zenko announced and I could swear he was enjoying himself.

"Alright, on to more important matters. We don't have a lot of daylight left so we'll split up into groups of two, and begin talking to people in town. Stop by shops and inquire tactfully if you hear any mentions of bandits. If we could gather any more information, I'm sure it would not only help to find them, but to bring them down."

"Mialo, Tiberius, you two take the East side of town and Seraphina and I will cover the West. We'll investigate until sundown then meet at the barbeque place across from that bar we passed earlier today. Any questions?"

We all looked to each other and then shook our heads.

"Alright then, remain alert and if one of us isn't at the meeting point by precisely sundown, assume there's trouble."

"Hai." The three of us nodded, and then stood brushing ourselves off.

We left our packs on the floor where we'd dropped them to head downstairs. Without the weight of my pack on my shoulders I felt a little better but the headache was still present. What if this was a side effect from Orochimaru taking my memories and it never went away? The thought filled me with dread so I brushed it off. I just needed to eat and get some sleep and then I would feel better. Only problem was, I hadn't been sleeping very restfully lately… Oh well. This was my first mission and I wasn't going to waste my chance to show I was a valuable member of their team. I had to do my part and make an impact with this mission.

As if reading my thoughts, a hand appeared on my shoulder and I looked up to see Zenko Sensei staring down at me with a composed expression.

"How is your head Seraphina? Will you be alright to participate?"

I was still so unused to someone checking up on me. It took effort to keep from looking surprised. I didn't want him to worry about me though; I hadn't even done anything worthy of his honest concern, and felt guilty my condition put a weight on his mind.

"Please Sensei." I said bowing to him fully now and continuing to speak before I stood.

"Don't worry about me. I promise I will do my very best to successfully complete this mission and will not weigh the rest of you down. A mere headache is not enough to keep me from my duties."

I straightened and then gave him what I hoped was a very open, but determined expression.

He actually looked a bit uncomfortable at my stare, and leaned back grabbing the back of his neck.

"You're so formal it catches me off guard Seraphina."

He laughed, and I began to worry I had acted too over the top. We had almost reached the stairs when I'd made my speech to Zenko Sensei and I could see the guys had turned to see what the hold up was.

'Dammit Seraphina, _why_ can't you just be normal?' I chided myself. My worry lessened when he gave me a warm smile.

"I wasn't doubting your abilities in the least Seraphina, I'm sure you'll perform just fine. I don't want you to unnecessarily push yourself too hard when we would be okay if you took a moment to rest. I can tell you have no intention to take it easy on yourself though, so please just let me know if you need to take a break."

At least he understood I would not allow myself to be left on the sidelines. Unfortunately he didn't quite realize I intended to do exactly what he spoke of. Push myself. Even though I nodded to him in agreement, I silently had no intention of slowing down our leader by taking a break. I would _not_ cause this mission to take any longer then it needed to because _I_ was dead weight.

With that out of the way we all began the descent down the four flights of stairs, and I closed my eyes whenever I thought no one was looking, to keep myself from being dizzy. I held the railing as we walked and practiced my even breathing in hopes it would prevent the headache from becoming worse.

When we reached the lobby Zenko made sure to tell our horrible host about the light and the broken glass. The man was just as reluctant as before, but gave us an 'I'll see what I can do.' Moderately satisfied, the four of us left the decrepit building and headed our separate ways, Mialo and Tiberius to the left, Zenko Sensei and I to the right.


End file.
